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Home care better for
Chen: Veterans hospital chief
By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
Confirming that former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has been diagnosed with
cerebral atrophy, Taipei Veterans General Hospital superintendent Lin Fang-yue
(林芳郁) yesterday said it would be better to have caregivers look after Chen at
home rather than in the hospital.
However, the Ministry of Justice still has to make an assessment and the final
decision, Lin said.
Lin said Chen has been doing well after his hemorrhoid surgery on March 14.
“Chou Yuan-hua (周元華), the resident doctor for Chen, has just returned to Taiwan
today [Thursday]. We will wait for his medical team to complete and verify the
report, which will be submitted to the Ministry of Justice on Friday,” Lin
added.
Separately yesterday, a summary report by US-based neurologist Samuel Chou (周烒明)
recommended that the best treatment for Chen is immediate home care.
The report follows a brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam that Samuel
Chou, a board member of the ALS & Neuromuscular Research Foundation in San
Francisco with more than 40 years of experience in the field of neurology,
conducted on Jan. 16 at the request of Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital’s
vice superintendent Chen Shun-sheng (陳順勝), a member of Chen’s voluntary civilian
medical team.
The Taipei Times obtained an advance copy of the report ahead of its official
release today.
The former president, who is serving a 20-year sentence for corruption, has been
staying at Taipei Veterans General Hospital for treatment after suffering from
various complications, including sleep apnea, severe depression, minor brain
damage and suspected Parkinson’s Disease.
Concern over Chen Shui-bian’s human rights was raised in the report, as the
former president has been subjected to continuous light exposure and sleep
deprivation in prison for years. Samuel Chou said he concurred with Amnesty
International Australia’s observation, which described the treatment as “cruel,
inhumane and degrading treatment for any person.”
The detrimental treatment is the cause of the neurological abnormalities which
“must be considered direct consequences of the prison conditions,” Samuel Chou
said in his report, adding that Chen Shui-bian’s current condition has
deteriorated in comparison with September last year and could be “irreversible”
if no active measures are taken.
The best treatment for Chen Shui-bian is “immediate home care, with supervising
medical professionals and management by rehabilitation specialists in a home
environment surrounded by family and loved ones,” the report said.
A home environment will be important “in halting further deterioration” and in
beginning “the slow and long process towards alleviating the symptoms,” it
concluded.
The report found that Chen Shui-bian has been suffering from speech impediment,
emotional disturbance, cerebellar defect, poor memory, cognitive disorders or
early signs of dementia, among other symptoms.
Joseph Lin, a former professor at the University of California at Davis who
began following Chen Shui-bian’s medical condition last year and provided the
report, said the summary would be sent to Washington for the reference of a
group of US lawmakers who have been monitoring the treatment and health
condition of the former president.
The US representatives include Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida and Steve Chabot
of Ohio, who met Lin last December and expressed his wish to meet with Chen
Shui-bian on his next trip to Taiwan, Lin said, adding that Chabot would like to
collect more information and assessments on Chen Shui-bian’s case.
US Representative Robert Andrews of New Jersey has also written a letter to the
US Department of State expressing his concern over the prison conditions and
medical care for Chen Shui-bian, said Lin, who is visiting Taiwan in a private
capacity.
Lin, a Taiwanese-American, led a medical team of US-based experts on a trip to
Taiwan in June last year and concluded that the former president’s confinement
in prison was “unacceptable” and had affected his physical and mental health.
The team later submitted its findings to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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