Orchid Island Child Flown to Taitung for Treatment 蘭嶼8月大嬰確診 「負壓隔離」直升機後送

An 8-month-old infant was medically evacuated from Orchid Island to Taitung to get treatment for COVID-19 and pneumonia. Offshore island residents are very worried about their fate in light of limited resources and access to timely medical care. The Taitung County Public Health Bureau hopes the Coast Guard can start helping to transport patients in need of medical care to Taiwan proper. 

On the 5th, the National Airborne Service Corps flew an 8-month-old infant with COVID-19 from Orchid Island to Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taitung. The infant is currently in stable condition and no longer has a fever. Orchid Island residents are very worried about access to timely medical care.

Huang Bi-mei, Taitung County Councilor: “We don't just have one moderate or severe case. Can the National Airborne Service Corps handle three or five or seven moderate or severe cases at the same time?”

The Taitung County Public Health Bureau hopes the Coast Guard can start helping to transport patients in need of medical care to Taiwan proper. As of right now, the bureau has to report critical cases in need of immediate medical treatment to the Central Epidemic Command Center and wait for the CECC to approve a medical evacuation.

Lin Sheng-hsiung, Secretary, Public Health Bureau, Taitung County: “If someone who is over 80 or over 36 weeks pregnant needs to be hospitalized, the National Airborne Service Corps is called in to take them to the hospital. We are in discussions with the Coast Guard about the transport of other patients that require hospitalization.”

However, each flight can only carry one patient and one family member and offshore island residents are worried about their fate in light of limited quarantine space, medical resources, and medical evacuation flights. They are calling on the government to make other arrangements as soon as possible to prevent the first big outbreak from decimating Taiwan's offshore islands.

台東縣在疫情發生以來，5日首次申請空勤總隊用負壓隔離設備，後送蘭嶼8個月大確診的嬰兒到台東馬偕醫院就醫，經過醫生治療，目前這名嬰兒病情已經控制，沒有發燒。不過離島新冠肺炎病患後送的問題，島上居民非常擔心。

台東縣議員黃碧妹說：「今天中重症不是只有1例，如果是3例5例7例….這麼多的案例裡面，我們空勤的狀態可以負荷嗎？」

台東縣衛生局表示，目前正在和海巡署協商，海巡署也正在研究後送的方式，不過目前的應變做法，如果離島確診病患有需要後送，衛生局會向中央疫情指揮中心通報，取得指揮官同意就可以用空中後送到本島就醫。

台東縣衛生局秘書林聖雄說：「80歲以上，懷孕36週以上，直接到醫院的話，會請空勤這邊來幫忙，另外如果是其他有需要到醫院收治的話，目前我們正在跟海巡單位做協商。」

不過每1架次飛機只能載送1名病患和陪同家屬，離島居民擔心，在島上隔離空間和醫療資源不足的情況下，空中後送能量有限，政府要趕快規畫其它的後送機制，否則疫情在離島大爆發後果不堪設想。