What Happens When You Get Sick in Taiwan?

Nationalized healthcare! As often as we see Starbucks on every corner in the States, there are just as many healthcare facilities in Taiwan. And, after coming down with a cold, acupuncturist Dwayne suggested that we stop by one of these places to see a doc and pick up meds.


The standard process is for the patient to sit in a chair and rest one's arm on a little padded pillow. The doctor places three fingers on the side of your wrist to read any number of things. From there, he or she will discern what ails you and then determine which Chinese herbs would be best for your particular issue.

After the Chinese doctor confirmed my symptoms, he made an assortment of little pockets of medicine. If you've never taken Chinese medicine before, it can be pretty horrid — the sheer smell of it is intensely unappealing and the look of thick black liquid can get your stomach turning.

Traditionally, a whole medley of twigs and branches and who-knows-what-else are boiled for long periods of time in ceramic pots. (When I was younger, I remember seeing dried lizards on sticks.) Now, there's medicinal powder that dissolves more quickly, but can be still just as unpleasant. In fact, Andrew Zimmerman, widely known for being able to eat a whole host of absolutely bizarre foods, simply could not stomach a week's worth of Chinese medicine.

Luckily, this batch of medicine turned out not to be so bad. He promised that within three days, I'd be feeling much better. And, as of today, the doctor was right — congestion is easing up to the point that I'm ready to hit the surf in Taitung! And, all of this, including the doctors visit and medicine cost me US$10 as a foreigner. Had I been a Taiwanese resident, this likely would've been much less.





If you're curious as to how everyone else stays fit and healthy in Taiwan, it could be attributed to the fact that every public park has a bevy of well-maintained cardio and weight-resistance machines. Imagine if you took one of the state-of-the-art gyms in the States and converted all the machines into simple jungle gym pieces that function by your own weight resistance. Not only can you keep your heart healthy while socializing with friends beneath the open sky and gorgeously green foliage, you can do also good for your body on any of these: