An operation has been scheduled for former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) today at the Taichung Veterans General Hospital to treat a severe case of sleep apnea.
A statement released by Chen’s office yesterday said breathing disruptions have resulted in deprivation of oxygen to the brain and other health problems for the former president.
In April, Chen — who is serving a 20-year jail sentence for corruption — was transferred from Taipei Veterans General Hospital to Taichung Prison’s Pei Teh Hospital, where a special medical zone was set up for him.
The statement — released after his transfer — said that Chen’s worsening health and brain functions were not caused by his treatment in prison, but were due to advancing illnesses as his health has deteriorated in “step-wise progression.”
The statement said Chen stutters when he speaks, his hands shake uncontrollably, he walks unsteadily and has a loss of bladder control, which necessitates the changing of his underwear more than a dozen times a day.
A group of doctors agreed that Chen can not be treated by one medication or one operation because they were uncertain what problems Chen would face in the future, the statement said.
Improving Chen’s surroundings is the one most effective ways to alleviate his worsening condition, the statement quoted the doctors as saying, adding that Chen should receive treatment at home.
Chen’s office said the authorities should grant the former president medical parole so that he could receive treatment at home, as “this is the way to respect the assessment of professional medical practitioners and accommodate public opinion. It would be in line with the protection of basic human rights, diminish social conflict and conform to international protocols, while his parole would benefit society.”
According to the statement, Chen’s condition has led to deprivation of oxygen for some time, which could seriously harm vital functions of his brain and heart.
It added that medical monitoring has indicated that Chen stops breathing up to 37 times per hour, and is only able to get one or two hours of sleep each night.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
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Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
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