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Hospital failed Chen:
lawmakers
By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
The Taichung Prison hospital failed to provide the necessary medical care to
imprisoned former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) before or after he attempted
suicide on Sunday, lawmakers and Chen’s private medical team said yesterday.
The prison hospital did not send a physician to examine Chen until an hour after
he was discovered trying to hang himself and the physician “was not aware of
what had been going on,” Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Chi-mai
(陳其邁) told a news conference.
The Taichung Veterans General Hospital, which is in charge of Chen Sui-bian’s
medical treatment, had ignored the advice of Chou Yuan-hua (周元華), the former
president’s previous doctor at Taipei Veterans General Hospital, who emphasized
that putting him on suicide watch was of the utmost priority.
The former president, who is serving a 20-year jail sentence for corruption, was
distraught that the spending of public funds in hostess bars may soon be
allowed, while the courts had found his use of such funds for diplomatic
projects to have been a criminal offense, according to the Ministry of Justice.
Chen Shui-bian was apparently referring to former independent legislator Yen
Ching-piao (顏清標), who could be exonerated for his misuse of public funds at
hostess bars during his term as Taichung County Council speaker and released
from jail once an amendment to the Accounting Act (會計法) is promulgated.
The prison has not been providing Chen Shui-bian, who has been diagnosed with
multiple ailments, including severe depression, with any medical treatment other
than two sleeping pills a day, said Janice Chen (陳昭姿), spokesperson of Chen
Shui-bian’s medical team.
Mackay Memorial Hospital psychiatrist Chen Chiao-chi (陳喬琪) has warned of Chen
Shui-bian’s suicidal tendencies, adding that he appeared to see death as his
final resort to prove his innocence.
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