The presidential medical team yesterday dismissed speculation that Friday's shooting of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) had been staged, saying that medical records had not been tampered with and that the Chi Mei Medical Center had no advance knowledge of the emergency.
The medical team also said that check-ups performed on Chen yesterday morning showed that his condition was stable and improving.
Chen's vital signs were declared stable by doctors with his blood pressure at 136/76, his pulse at 76 beats per minute, and his respiration at 18 breaths per minute. Cathay General Hospital superintendent Chen Kai-mo (陳楷模), who is the head of the presidential medical team, said Lu was also recovering and being treated by doctors on rotation duty.
PHOTO: WANG YU-TING, TAIPEI TIMES
"Providing medical treatment is Chi Mei Medical Center's top priority. We do not let politics get in the way of that," said Steve Chan (詹啟賢), superintendent of the Chi Mei Medical Center.
The medical center's authorities called a press conference early yesterday morning, just six hours ahead of the election, to rebut accusations made by independent Lawmaker Sisy Chen (陳文茜) late Friday night.
"A nurse from Chi Mei Medical Center revealed that National Security Bureau officials had visited the hospital that [Friday] morning, before the event happened," Sisy Chen said.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
She also accused doctors of tampering with the president and Lu's medical records, while other reporters yesterday asked why Chen Shui-bian's face had not been shown in the photograph of his wound.
"Altering a patient's medical records is against the law and out of the question in this case," Chan said, adding that several nurses and doctors had treated the president.
Lin Hung-jung (林宏榮), the chief of the emergency department, also denied allegations that rosters had been altered to accommodate the Chen ahead of time, saying that the emergency room was fully staffed on a regular basis.
Chan also said that he had been in the middle of a haircut when he was notified that Chen Shui-bian was in the hospital's emergency room.
"Why do you think I held a press conference on Friday wearing a baseball cap? Only one side of my hair had been cut when I learned of Chen's situation. Do you think I would have gotten a haircut if I knew about the shooting beforehand?" Chan said.
Democratic Progressive Party campaign manager Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) also said that it was impossible that the shooting could have been staged, saying that the bullet could have lodged in the president's body had the angle of entry been slightly different.
"These accusations cause me pain and anger. This is a grave situation that should trigger concern, but the opposition party is only concerned with power," Su said.
Questions had also been asked as to why Chen Shui-bian and Lu had been taken to Chi Mei Medical Center instead of other nearby hospitals.
Secretary General to the President Office Chiou I-jen (
The driver of the jeep in which Chen and Lu were shot, Kou Yu-hsin (
He explained that although other hospitals might have been closer geographically, it was actually faster to drive to Chi Mei Medical Center.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS