70 OTHER PATIENTS OF WEI-LIEN CLINIC UNDERGO BLOOD TESTS|驚聞C肝群聚感染 "維蓮"患者排隊忙驗血

After 5 patients at Taoyuan's Wei-lien Clinic contracted hepatitis C from being given injections with used needles, more than 70 other patients of the clinic showed up at a local health bureau to have themselves tested. The Ministry of Health and Welfare says approximately 1,200 patients have received shots at the clinic. This Wei-lien Clinic in Taoyuan's Yangmei District has been accused of reusing needles. Five patients so far have contracted hepatitis C. Local residents worry if they will be next. ==LIN KUO-NING Senior Specialist, Taoyuan City Dept. of Health== Until this morning (May 17), 36 people had undergone blood testing. A patient tested positive for hepatitis C in February also pointed his finger at the clinic. He may be the 6th victim in the case. ==FU TENG-TSUNG Former Vice-chairman, Yangmei City Citizen Reps. Association== I'm a regular patient at the Wei-lien Clinic. (So you may be the sixth victim?)Yes, I may be. I saw the news on TV and came (So you're not one of the first five?) No. I've been experiencing fatigue and abrupt weight loss. I just had my liver function tested at another hospital. The index went up to more than 700. This is Taiwan's first case of group hepatitis C infection since 1992. The nurse at the clinic has been suspended for three months, but not the doctor or the pharmacist. ==CHEN MAN-LI DPP Legislator== The doctor is ready to throw the nurse under the bus, but I think he should be heavily penalized, too. They should shut his clinic down and revoke his license. ==CHEN SHIH-CHUNG Minister, Ministry of Health and Welfare== We have since ordered to shut down the clinic for three months, and then a committee will decide what disciplinary actions to take against the doctor and the pharmacist. With the number of affected patients potentially reaching 1,200, the Ministry is now cross-checking medical records to tease out those who have received injections at the clinic. Once identified, high-risk patients will be given blood tests and put on a watch-list. Meanwhile, a local councilor has called on the government to assist victims in compensation claims. TRANSLATED BY: ANTHONY LIN 桃園楊梅維蓮診所涉嫌重複使用針頭，造成五位民眾確定感染病毒性C肝，1200位曾到診所就診過的病患，也可能遭到感染！衛福部表示，會調閱健保資料，針對打過針的病患進行驗血追蹤列管。 桃園楊梅維蓮診所，爆發重複使用針頭，造成五位民眾確診感染C肝！引發當地居民恐慌，就怕自己也是下個受害者。 ==桃園市衛生局專門委員 林國甯== 統計到今天早上為止 已經有36個人 已經完成這樣的一個抽血服務 -1 現場有位民眾出面控訴，他說今年2月也驗出感C肝,並拿出藥單,說自己經常去維蓮診所看病，很可能是這次不當使用針頭事件，遭感染Ｃ肝的第六例． ==前楊梅市民代表會副主席 傅燈從vs.記者== 我是他維蓮診所的常客 （所以可能是第六位嗎) 嗯可能是 看到電視上 （你不是前面那五位嗎) 不是不是 人非常疲勞 而且有暴瘦情形發現 所以到天成(醫院)去檢查的時候 就有這個肝指數 飆到七百多 -1 這是1992年C肝抗體檢驗納入血液篩檢以來，國內首見的C肝群聚感染事件，但護理師遭到停業3個月，醫師與藥師，只有交付懲戒調查，有立委質疑懲處太輕，醫師應負起連帶責任撤照。 ==民進黨立委 陳曼麗== 他把所有的責任 都推給那個護士 但是呢我認為是說 其實應該要用更嚴厲的方法來懲處 包括就是說那個診所應該要關門 包括那個主治醫生 應該要吊銷執照 ==衛福部部長 陳時中== 現在我們是先停業三個月 然後移送懲戒 根據懲戒的結果 再做進一步的處置 -1 衛福部長陳時中表示，目前到維蓮診病患有1200人次，至於有哪些病患打過針，將調閱健保資料追查，篩選病患後，進行驗血追蹤列管。至於受害民眾求償，有桃園市議員希望政府，協助受害人代位求償，要診所負起賠償責任。 記者 黃立偉 張國樑 詹淑雲 台北桃園報導。