A total of 169 patients were treated on the first day of an urgent care center (UCC) service that was launched yesterday in the six special municipalities, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) said, citing data valid as of 4pm that day.
Nearly 90 percent of patients were treated for fevers, respiratory problems, gastrointestinal symptoms, and minor issues such as migraines, muscle strains, sprains and nasal bleeding, the NHIA said in a statement issued last night.
Photo: Lin Chih-yi, Taipei Times
In one case, the patient had a fish bone lodged in the throat, while in other cases, there were acute flare-ups of chronic diseases, the NHIA said.
Of the 169 patients treated during the eight hour-period from 8am to 4pm, three were transferred to hospitals, it said.
Thirteen UCCs have been launched in the six municipalities, offering service from 8am to midnight on Sundays and national holidays, in a bid to redirect non-emergency patients and ease the pressure on hospital emergency rooms.
While most of the UCCs treated one to 11 patients during the eight-hour period yesterday, the UCC of Yung Chuan Hospital in Tainan saw 108 patients during the same period, the agency said.
About 80 percent of primary healthcare institutions across Taiwan remain open on Saturdays, but only about 20 percent operate on Sundays, which results in an influx of patients at hospital emergency rooms on weekends, Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said.
In particular, the demand for pediatric care tends to rise on weekends and during holidays, Shih told reporters yesterday.
However, about 80 percent of patients in emergency rooms are usually not in critical condition and do not require hospitalization, Shih said.
The effectiveness of the UCCs would be observed over the next few months before the nine-day Lunar New Year holiday in February next year, he said, adding that the service would be expanded, depending on the data.
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