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.
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
South Korea is planning to revise its controversial electronic arrival card, a step Taiwanese officials said prompted them to hold off on planned retaliatory measures, a South Korean media report said yesterday. A Yonhap News Agency report said that the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs is planning to remove the “previous departure place” and “next destination” fields from its e-arrival card system. The plan, reached after interagency consultations, is under review and aims to simplify entry procedures and align the electronic form with the paper version, a South Korean ministry official said. The fields — which appeared only on the electronic form
RSS