Four patients of Taipei's Lungfatang (龍發堂) psychiatric care hospital, who fled the facility, convened a press conference to accuse authorities at the facility of physical abuse.
Accompanied by psychiatrists and legislators, one of the former patients said they risked their life to escape the Buddhist-run asylum in the hopes that no more patients will be sent to what they called the "black jail."
"Some of us are stripped and tied to our beds with iron chains in the so-called `stockade' (
PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Another patient claimed the asylum charges each patient's family NT$2.5 million, and asked the families to purchase statues of Buddha for NT$300,000 each or even sedan chairs for transporting gods that cost NT$500,000.
"Young female patients are summoned by the abbot, Shih Kai -fong (
"Mental patients have the right to be treated humanely," said legislator Wang Hsueh-fong (
Legislator Yu Cheng-tao (
In response, Master Hsinhsien (
Officials in charge of the facility have not yet responded publicly to the accusations, but Yu said Lungfatang officials plan to call a press conference today to answer the allegations.
An official at the Department of Health said yesterday that current laws are not able to regulate the facility, because the law only regulates medical organizations, while Lungfatang is a run as a religious institution.
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