The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has launched an investigation after a surgeon wrote on Facebook that he performed surgery on a patient with HIV, but was not informed in advance, which he said exposed his team to unacceptable risk.
“So people with HIV/AIDS have a right to privacy, but medical practitioners do not have the right to be protected?” the surgeon, surnamed Hsu (徐), wrote on Saturday evening.
It was the second time he had to perform surgery on an HIV-positive patient without being warned, Hsu said, adding that he and more than a dozen medical practitioners had been put at risk of infection, but could have taken protective measures if they had known.
He said the team performed several invasive procedures, including the surgery, administering injections and changing the wound dressing, and without protective measures, all were at high risk of contracting HIV.
“Our government and the CDC have always stressed the human rights of HIV patients, so the information is not marked in the National Health Insurance database and they need to give consent before having their blood drawn,” he said. “But how is the government treating medical professionals?”
He said he felt angry and sorry for his medical team.
In response, the CDC in a statement said that under 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), HIV-positive patients are obligated to provide information regarding possible sources of infection or contacts and also to inform medical personnel that they are HIV-positive.
People who do not fulfill their responsibilities under the regulation may be fined NT$30,000 to NT$150,000.
However, the regulation makes an exception for emergency situations or if the patient is in an environment where their privacy is not protected, CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said.
An unprotected environment means being in an open space with the presence of non-medical staff or other people, Lo said.
The CDC said it has asked the local health department to find out whether the patient has broken the law.
All medical professionals are required to follow standardized protection protocols when administering treatment to any patient and they should not be at risk of HIV infection if they follow the guidelines, the CDC said.
People who might have been exposed to HIV in the line of duty, such as police, firefighters or medical practitioners, will immediately have their blood tested and be given post-exposure prophylaxis if a risk evaluation requires it, the CDC said.
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard