Victim of Sheng Tang Clinic Case Dies 盛唐中醫46病患鉛中毒案 出現首例病逝

A Taichung traditional medicine clinic was found to be knowingly selling herbs contaminated with lead and cin-na-bar last year. One of the 46 victims, a woman surnamed Chang, died earlier this month.

Taichung's Sheng Tang Chinese Medicine Clinic was found to be knowingly selling medicinal herbs contaminated with lead and cinnabar last year, poisoning 46 patients. Many of the patients are still going through detox protocols today. One of the 46, a woman surnamed Chang, died earlier this month. 

Ms. Ho, Victim of Sheng Tang Clinic Case: “She had fluid accumulating not just in her abdominal cavity, but in both legs as well. She became weaker and weaker and told her husband she wanted to go home. She died not long afterward on Nov. 2.”

Chang was being treated at the clinic for breast cancer. The chief practitioner of the clinic, Lu Shih-ming, gave her medication contaminated with lead, which accelerated the metastasis of Chang's cancer. On the 18th, victims and their families said the clinic had the money to hire three high-priced lawyers but refused to give a single cent to its victims.

Chen Ming-chen, Family Member of Victim: “(My family member's) medical treatment costs NT$6,900 a day and he has to (be hospitalized) for two weeks at a time. It's been over six months and (the clinic) has not shown an iota of goodwill or remorse.”

The lawyer representing the victims, Luo Yung-an, says this type of large-scale pharmaceutical poisoning suit is rare. Unfortunately for the victims, the government has chosen not to order any toxicity identification evaluations for the use of prosecutors and courts. The victims are therefore seeking assistance from the Institute of Forensic Medicine.

Luo Yung-an, Victims' Lawyer: “We have asked the Institute of Forensic Medicine to step in. There is precedence for this.”

Lu's professional license has been revoked and he has not responded to media requests. The death of Ms. Chang has galvanized the surviving victims in their quest for justice.

台中知名的盛唐中醫，去年違法使用鉛丹、硃砂入藥，導致46名病患中毒。時隔一年許多患者還處在解毒的療程，但其中一位張小姐，卻在本月2號不幸病逝，與他同醫院治療的另一位受害者，在過程中相互扶持鼓勵，如今備感唏噓。

盛唐中醫案受害者何小姐:「不只腹水，兩隻腳也水腫，整個人的精神狀況越來越差，她跟她的先生說她想回家了，回家後沒多久，11月2號就往生了。」

張小姐因為罹患乳癌接受盛唐中醫治療，院長呂世明卻在病患不知情的狀況下以鉛丹入藥，張小姐疑似因為鉛中毒加速病情惡化，癌細胞轉移後離世。18號受害者與家屬召開記者會，批評盛唐中醫寧願花錢請三位律師，卻不給受害者合理賠償。

受害者家屬陳明振:「一天的醫療費最起碼就6900，一次要住(院)兩個禮拜，一住就是半年多，到目前為止沒出面表達更大的誠意。」

受害者委任律師羅永安表示，此為少見的大規模藥物毒害事件，毒物鑑定至今依舊沒有公部門介入，將呈報檢方與法院，請求法醫研究所協助。

受害者委任律師羅永安:「囑託法醫研究所來鑑定，有沒有加速生命歷程終結的情況，法醫研究所在以前部分的實務案例，其實是會接受鑑定的。」

盛唐中醫院長呂世明在中午截稿前無法取得回應，目前他因為違反醫師法，執業證照已被廢除。隨著張小姐病逝，其餘受害者尋求外界協助，希望能在有生之年看到正義伸張的一天。