The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday said that it would increase the number of masks allocated to healthcare facilities to ensure they have adequate supplies for about 15 days and would provide about 130,000 masks to patients with special needs.
Demand for masks has surged amid fears over the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak, and shortages have forced the government to ration masks to two per person per week to be purchased at pharmacies contracted by the National Health Insurance Administration.
Starting today, the number of masks delivered to healthcare facilities would be increased from an average of 850,000 per day to 1.7 million per day, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), head of the CECC, told a news conference last night.
Photo: CNA
The center had asked local health departments to allocate 65 percent of masks to healthcare facilities, so hospitals and clinics have adequate supplies, but there are not enough masks in stock for the days ahead, Chen said.
He said as the daily production volume of masks has increased to an average of more than 4.2 million per day, the center would make up the deficit at healthcare facilities to meet safe inventory levels — at least seven to eight days and up to 15 days for hospitals, and about three to four days for clinics.
Each registered physician at clinics would receive 10 masks per day, which would include masks for interns, assistants, nurses, administrative and other personnel, Chen said.
About 130,000 masks would also be provided to hospitalized patients who are undergoing chemotherapy or radioactive iodine therapy and those with autoimmune disease or undergoing dialysis, as well as one person accompanying them in hospital, he said.
The patients must register with hospitals to receive the masks, the center said.
Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said that there are about 36,800 registered physicians at clinics, about 32,000 people undergoing dialysis per day, about 1,100 people on chemotherapy and radioactive iodine therapy, and about 97,000 people hospitalized per day.
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