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Chen’s family cites
stroke in parole plea
DOCTOR’S ORDERS: The ex-president’s family has
asked repeatedly for him to be granted medical parole, but the Ministry of
Justice said his condition did not qualify him
By Rich Chang / Staff Reporter, with CNA
Chen Chih-chung, son of former
president Chen Shui-bian, speaks to the press yesterday, rejecting the Ministry
of Justice’s judgements about his father’s health and saying that any medical
issues should be examined and evaluated by medical experts.
Photo: Li Jung-ping, Taipei Times
The family of jailed former president Chen
Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday urged authorities to pay more attention to Chen’s
health problems, in light of the fact that he has previously suffered a stroke.
Chen Chih-chung (陳致中), son of the former president, said a team of neurosurgeons
and urologists from major medical centers should be allowed to examine his
father.
“I’ve been told by doctors that people who have had a thrombotic stroke have a
high chance of relapse within two to three years,” he said during a visit to
Taoyuan General Hospital to see his father.
Chen Shui-bian, who is serving a 17-and-a-half-year sentence for corruption, was
sent to Taoyuan General Hospital on Wednesday night after complaining of pain
when urinating and was admitted for extensive examination.
A group of Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers and medical experts on Friday
said that a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test earlier that day had found
that the former president has a 4mm-by-4mm trace of a cerebral vascular trauma
in his right frontal lobe.
The Ministry of Justice said in a statement released later that day that the MRI
showed he has a 4mm clot in his right frontal lobe that was caused by brain
ischemia — a type of stroke caused by insufficient blood flow to the brain — but
it is unclear when the stroke occurred.
The hospital determined that the condition was unrelated to Chen Shui-bian’s
headache and speech problems, the statement said, adding that his condition does
not qualify him for medical parole.
Despite the ministry’s explanations, Chen’s family and supporters continued
their calls for him to be released for medical reasons.
Chen Shui-bian underwent a urine test in the hospital yesterday morning and his
son said that while doctors are still investigating the cause of his father’s
urination problems, the more serious problem is the clot that was discovered.
Chen Shun-sheng (陳順勝), honorary vice president of Kaohsiung Chang Guan Memorial
Hospital, called in to a TV political talk show on Friday night and said that
considering Chen Shui-bian’s condition, the probability that he would suffer
another stroke was high.
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