The Taipei Department of Health yesterday said the city’s physical examination for senior adults is to begin on March 4 this year, allowing eligible residents to choose one of three examination packages, and the first phase of booking the free examination is to begin on Thursday.
Department Commissioner Chen Yen-yuan (陳彥元) said there are about 550,000 residents aged 65 or older in Taipei, accounting for more than 22 percent of the city’s total population, so the department has increased the city’s free physical examination for senior adults from a quota of 50,503 to 66,040 this year.
The examination packages have also been increased from two to three options, adding a bone mass density and muscle package, he said.
Photo: Taipei Times
Chen said the two other packages are the “brain and lung” package, which mainly includes a chest X-ray and blood tests to examine the brain functions; and the “abdomen” package, which mainly includes an abdominal ultrasound and other tests to examine abdominal organ functions.
The new “bone mass density and muscle” package introduced this year is aimed at elderly residents who might suffer from osteoporosis (loss of bone density) or sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass and strength), he said, adding that the tests mainly include a bone density scan and blood test.
While senior residents can choose one of the three packages, they all include a few common examination items, such as physical assessment, depression screening and cognitive function assessment, the health department added.
Chen said senior residents can choose one option each year, and if they have not received the Preventive Health Service for Adults, the government-funded health examination by the Health Promotion Administration this year, they can book an appointment for receiving both examinations at the same time.
Taipei Health Promotion Division head Lin Hsueh-lan (林雪蘭) said residents aged 65 or older and indigenous residents aged 55 or older, with household registration in Taipei, would be eligible for the city’s free examination, which is to be launched on March 4 this year.
Elderly residents can book an appointment online at the department’s dedicated Web site (https://aged.health.gov.tw), or by calling the city’s free consultation hotline (0800-031-889) between 7am and 7pm from Thursday to March 12, and also through on-site registration at 18 designated hospitals and clinics, she said.
Moreover, Lin said the appointment booking is to be launched in two phases this year, with the eligibility for the first phase being elderly residents listed for special care by the city government, including those living alone, with disabilities, in low-income households or middle-low-income households, and indigenous people aged 55 or older.
The first phase of booking is to begin at 7am on Thursday and end on 7pm on Tuesday next week, she said.
All eligible elderly residents would be allowed to book an appointment on March 4, Lin said, adding that online booking is to be available from 7am on March 4 to 7pm on March 10, or until the quotas at hospitals and clinics are filled.
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