Legislators, medical professionals and HIV/AIDS support groups had mixed reactions yesterday to a proposal to include a note on the HIV/AIDS status of individuals on their National Health Insurance cards.
The proposal was suggested as a way of avoiding a repeat of the errors that led to two local hospitals carrying out several organ transplants from a donor who had been HIV-positive.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Yang Li-huan (楊麗環) and Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) have backed the proposal.
Yang said the human rights of both HIV/AIDS patients and others should be protected and that indicating the cardholder’s status was a “necessary” step. Cheng said medical personnel have a responsibility to maintain patient confidentiality, but must also have access to vital information to keep them safe.
However, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Chiech-ju (陳節如) said the proposal was “not a good idea.” She suggested that information on HIV/AIDS status be registered with the Centers for Disease Control, which could provide hospitals with the information on a need-to-know basis.
Bureau of Medical Affairs Director Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said a similar proposal had been made before, but was opposed by human rights groups, who said it would further stigmatize those with HIV or AIDS.
“A note on the card [on HIV/AIDS status] could violate the HIV Infection Control and Patient Rights Protection Act (人類免疫缺乏病毒傳染防治及感染者權益保障條例),” Shih said.
Centers for Disease Control Vice Director-General Shih Wen-yi (施文儀), however, said that such a notation would be an extra precaution against error.
Nevertheless, Wei Jeng (魏崢), director of the Heart Center of Cheng Hsin General Hospital, and Chu Shu-hsun (朱樹勳), president of Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, said diseases such as hepatitis and gonorrhea can also be passed on through blood.
“The hospital should conduct thorough checks on [organ and blood] donors and the key point is to be rigorous with such tests,” Wei said.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
RSS