City government to offer free checkups for Aborigines

The Taipei city government is to offer free physical checkups to Aboriginal residents who are 40 years of age and older and have lived in the city for over six months as part of the fulfillment of Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) campaign platform.

Starting May 1, the city's five municipal hospitals -- Chung Hsing, Jen Ai, Ho Ping, Yangming, and Chung Hsiao hospitals -- will offer the free physical exams.

The checkup will include blood, feces and urine tests, liver cancer screening, chest X-ray, electro cardiogram, and Pap smears.

Tsai Show-rong (蔡紹榮), secretary-general of the city's Aboriginal Affairs Commission (原住民事務委員會), praised the effort yesterday.

"Aborigines have been characterized as having a high unemployment and mortality rate, and as holding high-risk jobs," Tsai said.

"While most people are obsessed with the stock market, little attention is being paid to the welfare of indigenous people," Tsai added.

Tsai said there are 1,940 Aborigines over the age of 40 scattered in the city's 12 districts, with Neihu district having the highest number at about 400, while Tatung has the lowest at 47.

Yeh Ching-chuan (葉金川), commissioner of the city's health bureau, said that focusing on this age group is a good move.

"They have the highest death rate and are not covered by the national health insurance program," he said.