Print

Mail

wiki links

Key keratosis treatment center could face closure

A patient who has congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma takes his shirt off at a press conference at the Legislative Yuan yesterday, calling on the government not to close down a care center in Kaohsiung City. PHOTO: CHEN TSE-MING, TAIPEI TIMES

The nation's only social welfare institution for sufferers of congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma, a serious genetic skin keratosis, may face closure after its patient services have been declared inadequate by the Ministry of the Interior. The ministry has conducted a review and is expected to decide the fate of the home within one month.

At a public hearing held yesterday by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Shyu Jong-shyoung (徐中雄), representatives from the Home for Ichthyosis Patients and relevant government agencies agreed to discuss the matter.

Founded in 2002, the facility in Kaohsiung City is the nation's only institution offering patients hydro-treatment to help relieve their physical and mental pain. It is funded by the government, but is privately managed.

According to the Department of Health's statistics, there are 32 sub-types of ichthyosis, five of which are common in Taiwan.

However, of the 115,000 patients nationwide, only victims of two of the categories are eligible for the Disadvantaged Persons' Handbook, an official certificate that provides medical subsidies to the recipient.

Chairperson of the home Chen Li-yun (陳麗雲) disputed aspects of the ministry's evaluation review in the public hearing yesterday. A key issue was the number of patients. Chen said that although the home assisted about 60 ichthyosis sufferers every year, only 12 of those with the handbook in Kaohsiung City can be listed in the official services log.

Even though the organization has helped patients from other parts of the country over the past three years, the ministry review committee did not take these patients into account, because they did not have a Kaohsiung City household registration, Chen said.

"The government's review system falls short of describing the institution's true efforts," she said.

Chen said that the shelter also offered services such as medical consultation and physical therapy -- it is more than just a place for the patients to receive hydro-treatment.

Deputy chief of the ministry's Subordinate Agencies of Social Affairs He Ming-liao (何明寮) said given the uniqueness of the shelter, both the evaluation system and the Welfare Regulations for the Mentally and Physically Disadvantaged (殘障福利法) may need to be adjusted.
This story has been viewed 2150 times.