The government should find ways to cool outdoor playground areas to allow children to use them safely, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Mark Ho (何志偉) said.
Citing Centers for Disease Control data, Ho said that as of June 30, 89 people younger than 18 have required emergency medical aid due to heat injury.
That is 2.3 times higher than the annual average number of people who required medical aid due to heat injuries over the past three years, he said.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan Parks and Playgrounds for Children by Children member Lin Hsiang-ju (林?如) said that the government should consider strategies such as planting more trees around outdoor facilities to cool parks and playgrounds.
Playground surfaces should be sand, gravel, sawdust or wood bark, and the playgrounds should have mist sprayers or water-based play areas to help keep children cool and relieve the effects of urban heat islands, Lin said.
Only about 40 of the nation’s 7,000 playgrounds have areas where children can play in water, she said.
Taipei City Councilor Chung Pei-ling (鍾佩玲) said that of Taipei’s 442 playgrounds, 87 are considered “inclusive,” of which 35 had structures built with metal, which could become hot and burn children.
Chung said that ameliorative measures should include planting trees or establishing more cover over playgrounds.
New Taipei City Councilor Tai Wei-shan (戴瑋姍) said that instead of putting up signs telling children to wear “thicker clothing” to protect themselves, the nation needs to resolve the issue.
Ministry of Health and Welfare Public and Family Division Director-General Chang Wan-chen (張婉貞) said that the ministry is aware of the issue and has implemented several measures to address heat-related injuries at parks.
Chang said that improvements would take time to implement, but local governments have started the process, adding that water-based areas require more discussion to achieve the intended effect of cooling down the areas while preventing injuries from slipping.
Construction and Planning Agency Construction Division Director-General Wu Wen-hsiung (吳文雄) said it has complied with all ministry regulations regarding trees and shade, adding that the agency would work with the ministry should it revise its regulations.
REPORT: Taipei has expressed an interest in obtaining loitering munitions matching the AeroVironment Switchblade 300 or the Anduril Altius-600, ‘Foreign Policy’ said Taiwan is seeking US-made kamikaze drones in an apparent concession to pressure from Washington to focus on asymmetric capabilities to defeat or deter a Chinese attack, Foreign Policy said in a report on Wednesday. Taipei has expressed an interest in obtaining AeroVironment Switchblade loitering munitions or other devices with similar capabilities, it said, citing four sources familiar with the matter commenting on condition of anonymity. The Switchblade 300 is a tube-launched drone designed for attacking ground troops, while its larger sibling, the Switchblade 600, could be used to destroy tanks and entrenched troops. Ukraine has utilized both systems extensively in its fight against
Police officers yesterday morning apprehended the prime suspect of a triple homicide case, after raiding the suspect’s hideout in Taichung. They transported the suspect to New Taipei City for questioning and recorded his statement last night. The suspect, identified as a 24-year-old man surnamed Chang (張), is believed to have used his hands to strangle his wife, surnamed Chen (陳), 29, along with his three-year-old son from a previous marriage and his wife’s mother, 69. The three dead bodies were wrapped in blankets when they were discovered inside their apartment in New Taipei City’s Sanchong District (三重) on Saturday. Chang was holding a
Hungarian Member of Parliament Tompos Marton said he considers Taiwan to be a better alternative to China as a strategic partner. Marton, who is the vice president of the opposition Momentum Party, made the remarks in an interview with the Central News Agency on Sunday. He draped a Republic of China flag across his shoulders to protest Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) visit to the capital city, Budapest, on Thursday last week, and openly voiced support for Taiwan on social media. He said in the interview that he wanted to remind the world that there were alternatives to China, and that “Taiwan has
A female physician at New Taipei City’s Shuang Ho Hospital was bullied and made to work for 32 consecutive hours by a senior colleague while pregnant before later having a miscarriage, an internal investigation found, the hospital said on Monday. The perpetrator has been removed from his post, the hospital said. The attending physician in the hospital’s Medical Imaging Department, identified by the pseudonym Y, earlier on Monday told reporters that she had been bullied by a male senior colleague who arranged shifts in her department. In January, shortly after she became pregnant, Y asked the department director if she could avoid overnight