[Kaohsiung News] Kaohsiung City’s rehabilitation bus service is expanding its Fast-Track Medical Service network! In addition to the existing partnerships with eight medical institutions, the Kaohsiung City Rehabilitation Bus (Rehabus) Service is now collaborating with Kaohsiung Medical University Gangshan Hospital (referred to as KMU Gangshan Hospital) to launch the "Fast-Track Medical Service." This collaboration integrates the rehabus booking system with the hospital’s outpatient system, allowing medical staff to prepare medical services in advance. This aims to reduce the consultation time for patients using the rehabus, offering a more efficient healthcare and transportation service.
According to the Transportation Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government, users of rehabus services take longer time to access medical services than the general public due to reduced mobility. Any changes in transportation can cause considerable inconvenience. Therefore, since 2020, the Transportation Bureau has integrated the " Fast-Track Medical Service" with rehabuses and medical institutions. Starting today, in addition to the original eight medical institutions, KMU Gangshan Hospital has been added, making a total of nine participating medical institutions. These institutions include Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital; E-DA Hospital; Yuan's General Hospital; Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital; Kaohsiung Municipal Min-Sheng Hospital; Kaohsiung Municipal Siaogang Hospital; Kaohsiung Municipal Cijin Hospital; Kaohsiung Municipal United Hospital; and Kaohsiung Medical University Gangshan Hospital. The expanded service is expected to significantly reduce the waiting time for rehabus users while improving the service turnover rate of the rehabuses.
Director-General Shu-Chuan Chang of the Transportation Bureau noted that in 2023, rehabuses provided 287,370 trips, an increase of 19,653 trips compared to 267,717 trips in 2022. Through the seamless integration of the rehabilitation bus booking system with the hospital outpatient system, hospitals can gain advance updates on the estimated arrival and departure times of patients using rehabuses. This allows medical staff to prioritize these patients, reducing the likelihood of them missing their rehabuses due to delayed consultations. After implementing the fast-track service, there has been a 25% increase in the number of patients using rehabuses for medical visits. Additionally, patients have experienced a reduction of 30 minutes in their consultation times, significantly benefiting hospitals, patients, and the smooth operation of the rehabuses.
Kaohsiung Bus, the operator of the city’s rehabuses, explained that the Fast-Track Medical Service significantly improves the turnover rate of the rehabus services, promotes the efficient use of transportation resources, and alleviates passengers' anxiety about missing their buses. In the future, the Transportation Bureau, in collaboration with Kaohsiung Bus, will continue to engage with other medical institutions to further integrate and expand the service. This initiative aims to enhance the quality and convenience of rehabus services, providing a more friendly and reassuring transportation experience for people with disabilities.
(Office in charge: Division Chief Wan-Ling Hsiao, Transportation Management Division, 0912-399150.)
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