Taitung County has seen eight recent COVID-19 cases. There were reports that a person from an epidemic hotspot was denied treatment at a local clinic even though the person tested negative in a rapid test.
The Taitung County Government conducted tests in Chulu, Guanshan, and Chishang on March 28 and 29 for people whose footprints had overlapped with confirmed cases. There are reports that a person from one of these epidemic hotspots took a rapid test on March 28, which was negative, and then sought medical treatment at a clinic. The clinic refused to provide treatment, and told the person to go to a hospital. At the hospital, the person was berated by the ER doctor and moved outside to get treatment. People from epidemic hotspots say they are facing discrimination.
Ms. Wu, Resident: “I told him that I'm a Chulu resident, and he handed my NHI card back to me and told me to go to a hospital. That's why I went to the emergency room. The doctor called my name, and I stood up. He then told me very loudly to stand there and not move. The people around me kept staring at me. I don't think it's my fault that I'm from Chulu.”
Taitung's Public Health Bureau said under the Medical Care Act and Communicable Disease Control Act, medical institutions cannot refuse medical treatment to people from epidemic hotspots without cause. However, they are allowed to refer patients based on their area of expertise.
Lin Sheng-hsiung, Acting Dep. Director, Public Health Bureau, Taitung County: “Doctors can't say they refuse to provide medical treatment. If he really refused to provide medical treatment, then he can be fined NT$10,000 to NT$50,000.”
The bureau added that perhaps both medical institutions and the public are tense because of the epidemic situation, and it will ask institutions to do a better job on doctor-patient relationships.
台東縣衛生局28、29日持續在初鹿、關山、池上安排快篩，提供跟確診者足跡重疊疑慮的民眾來快篩。不過現在傳出，在疫情熱區的民眾，28日快篩完要看到市區看病，卻被診所拒絕，要求到醫院就醫，到了醫院急診室又被醫生大聲喝斥，要求到戶外看診，讓疫情熱區的民眾感覺被歧視。
吳小姐說：「我就告訴他說我是初鹿人，他就把健保卡還給我，叫我說去醫院看好了，所以我才會到急診室那裡掛，後來醫生就叫我的名字，我就站起來，他就很大聲的跟我講你站在那裡不要動就好，旁邊的人都一直看我。我是覺得說身為初鹿人又不是我們的錯」
台東縣衛生局表示，依照《醫療法》和《傳染病防治法》規定，醫療院所不得無故拒絕疫情流行地區病人前往就醫，但可依醫療院所的專長能力，可建議病人轉診。
台東縣衛生局代理副局長林聖雄說：「其實醫師這邊是不可以拒絕來做一些醫療的服務，如果他真的拒絕的話，可以處一萬塊以上到五萬塊以下罰鍰。」
台東縣衛生局強調，疫情期間可能醫療院所和民眾都比較緊張，會再請醫療院所做好醫病關係。