Free Chingguan Yihau Only Available to Select Groups in Future 清冠一號公費對象 9/15起限高風險族群

Free courses of Chingguan Yihau will stop on Sept. 15 for anyone between the ages of 12 and 65 that doesn't have risk factors for severe symptoms. The announcement was blasted by medical groups.

Many COVID-19 patients choose to take the Chinese medicine formula Chingguan Yihau over western drugs to alleviate their symptoms. The formula is currently free, but patients may have to pay NT$1,500-2,000 out of pocket for a 5-day course of treatment in the future.

Mr. Huang, Citizen: “It looks like the epidemic is worsening again, so demand for Chingguan Yihau will probably go up. The people are being forced to shoulder the cost.

With the case count spiking, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has announced stricter requirements for free prescriptions of Chingguan Yihau starting Sept. 15, excluding people between the ages of 12 and 65 that don't have risk factors for severe symptoms. Patients, meanwhile, are complaining that the government has cancelled their subsidies. The National Union of Chinese Medical Doctors' Association is blasting the decision, saying the government is taking away people's umbrellas when it rains. The union added that now the same groups are eligible for both western antivirals and Chingguan Yihau, and the government is failing to consider the safety and efficacy of the latter.

Ko Fu-yang, Chair, National Union of Chinese Medical Doctors' Association ROC: “Children with COVID-19 are being treated with Chingguan Yihau at Taitung Christian Hospital's children's hospital. The results have been excellent. Why should we exclude children from taking it?”

Victor Wang, Central Epidemic Command Center Chief: “There are three. That is to say, in this case -- if they have a fever, and then if they have a sore throat -- like, a severe sore throat -- and then if they have shortness of breath, then in this area, then they can be prescribed [Chingguan Yihau] based on Chinese medicine indications.”

The Central Epidemic Command Center is defending the government's decision saying it is only "clarifying" which categories of patients Chingguan Yihau is suitable for and people that get COVID-19 and don't recover from a high fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat or difficulty swallowing after two days can still go and see a Chinese medicine doctor to get a diagnosis and a free prescription if they meet the criteria. The CECC also says Chingguan Yihau will not be available to anyone that has already taken western antivirals as there could be drug interaction.

新冠本土疫情再起，不少確診者選擇視訊中醫師，並服用中藥清冠一號來緩解症狀，不過未來清冠一號可能需要自費，5天療程每人需花費1500到2000元。

民眾黃先生說：「疫情感覺又開始升溫了，那清冠一號的需求應該也是會上升的，那等於是民眾的負擔就會比較大。」

衛福部在中秋節連假前夕宣布，從下週四起，限縮公費清冠一號使用對象，未來65歲以下12歲以上民眾，若無重症風險因子，將無公費清冠一號可用，形同直接取消多數確診民眾的公費補助，而且中醫師公會全聯會也發聲明抗議，新制適用對象跟西藥抗病毒藥物一樣，完全沒有考量清冠一號治療的安全性及療效，痛批政府不該在雨天收傘。

中醫師公會全聯會理事長柯富揚指出：「台東基督教醫院的兒童專責醫院，都拿清冠一號讓確診的兒童吃，目前看到的療效也都非常的好，為什麼我們的適用範圍要排除兒童。」

中央流行疫情指揮中心指揮官王必勝表示：「主要有3項啦，就是說，他們在這個，如果有發燒，那還有就是這個喉嚨痛的部分，比較嚴重的喉嚨痛還有呼吸有喘的部分，這個部分，依中醫的條件，也可以開立這樣子。」

疫情指揮中心強調，現在只是將清冠一號的適用對象明確化，未來確診新冠肺炎，若連續兩天高燒不退、咳嗽、會喘、喉嚨痛或出現飲食困難者，只要經中醫師診斷，仍可開立公費清冠一號，但若已服用西藥抗病毒藥物，就不能再同時吃清冠一號，以免產生交互作用。