Former President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has developed severe post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, and has attempted suicide at least three times as a result of his incarceration, a Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker yesterday cited a medical assessment report as saying.
Chen is currently serving a 17-and-a-half-year term at Taipei Prison on corruption charges.
“According to an assessment compiled by Mackay Memorial Hospital psychiatrist Chen Chiao-chicy (陳喬琪), the former president has exhibited symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression after having been held in long-term confinement,” DPP Legislator Hsu Tain-tsair (許添財) said after a 45-minute meeting with Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) at the legislature in Taipei to discuss the former president’s medical condition.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
“Because of Chen Shui-bian’s poor mental state, he has attempted suicide at least three times, including two hunger strikes and once by banging his head against the wall,” Hsu said.
The meeting was also attended by the former president’s son, Chen Chih-chung (陳致中), and a task force comprised of physicians and rights advocates — including National Taiwan University physician Ko Wen-che (柯文哲), Taipei Veterans General Hospital physician Kuo Cheng-tien (郭正典) and former Northern Taiwan Society director Janice Chen (陳昭姿) — to monitor the health of the former president.
Chen Chih-chung said that his family was worried about his father’s health and that his grandmother called him yesterday morning to ask about a follow-up medical checkup for tumors reported to have been detected in Chen Shui-bian’s prostate at Chang Gung Hospital two months ago.
Three reported tumors were found in Chen Shui-bian’s seminal vesicle earlier this year, but were later determined to be non-malignant blood clots.
Wang yesterday said that based on the medical report commissioned by Chen Shui-bian’s family, the former president’s physical state appeared to be declining, adding that the report recorded that he has suffered from hypothermia, autonomic instability, post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression.
“If these conditions are proven to be medically accurate, I will bring up the matter at an -appropriate time and occasion,” Wang said.
However, Taipei Prison yesterday dismissed Hsu’s allegations of Chen Shui-bian having attempted suicide, saying Hsu was exaggerating.
Chen Shui-bian stopped eating three times during his incarceration, but those were not suicide attempts, the prison said.
The prison said it had paid close attention to Chen Shui-bian’s health and believed his mental and physical condition were sound.
It said it had previously arranged for Chen Shui-bian to undergo medical checkups at Taoyuan General Hospital and Chang Gung Hospital’s branch in New Taipei City’s (新北市) Linkou District (林口) and that his ailments could be controlled by taking medicine and having follow-up checkups.
The prison also dismissed Ko’s allegations that Chen Shui-bian’s life was at risk and that he could die within four years if his current conditions do not improve.
Additional reporting by Rich Chang
The combined effect of the monsoon, the outer rim of Typhoon Fengshen and a low-pressure system is expected to bring significant rainfall this week to various parts of the nation, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The heaviest rain is expected to occur today and tomorrow, with torrential rain expected in Keelung’s north coast, Yilan and the mountainous regions of Taipei and New Taipei City, the CWA said. Rivers could rise rapidly, and residents should stay away from riverbanks and avoid going to the mountains or engaging in water activities, it said. Scattered showers are expected today in central and
People can preregister to receive their NT$10,000 (US$325) cash distributed from the central government on Nov. 5 after President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday signed the Special Budget for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience, the Executive Yuan told a news conference last night. The special budget, passed by the Legislative Yuan on Friday last week with a cash handout budget of NT$236 billion, was officially submitted to the Executive Yuan and the Presidential Office yesterday afternoon. People can register through the official Web site at https://10000.gov.tw to have the funds deposited into their bank accounts, withdraw the funds at automated teller
COOPERATION: Taiwan is aligning closely with US strategic objectives on various matters, including China’s rare earths restrictions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Taiwan could deal with China’s tightened export controls on rare earth metals by turning to “urban mining,” a researcher said yesterday. Rare earth metals, which are used in semiconductors and other electronic components, could be recovered from industrial or electronic waste to reduce reliance on imports, National Cheng Kung University Department of Resources Engineering professor Lee Cheng-han (李政翰) said. Despite their name, rare earth elements are not actually rare — their abundance in the Earth’s crust is relatively high, but they are dispersed, making extraction and refining energy-intensive and environmentally damaging, he said, adding that many countries have opted to
CONCESSION: A Shin Kong official said that the firm was ‘willing to contribute’ to the nation, as the move would enable Nvidia Crop to build its headquarters in Taiwan Shin Kong Life Insurance Co (新光人壽) yesterday said it would relinquish land-use rights, or known as surface rights, for two plots in Taipei’s Beitou District (北投), paving the way for Nvidia Corp to expand its office footprint in Taiwan. The insurer said it made the decision “in the interest of the nation’s greater good” and would not seek compensation from taxpayers for potential future losses, calling the move a gesture to resolve a months-long impasse among the insurer, the Taipei City Government and the US chip giant. “The decision was made on the condition that the Taipei City Government reimburses the related
RSS