The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced that the total number of inpatient cases of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) infection has reached 200.Of those cases, 1/3 have been treated in intensive care wards. To let the general public understand the intensive care capacity and standards in Taiwan, CECC invited a domestic expert in medical complications, Professor Gao-Jun Tang, to attend the press conference held by CECC on September 12, 2009 to discuss the intensive care capacity and standards in Taiwan.

Professor Tang was the President of the Society of the Emergency and Critical Care Medicine and the Secretary General of the Asia Pacific Society of Critical Care Medicine.Currently, Professor Tang is the Superintendent of National Yang-Ming University Hospital and the Executive Board Member of the Taiwan Society of Critical Care Medicine.Therefore, Professor Tang is extremely familiar with the practice of intensive care medicine in Taiwan and other countries.

Professor Tang pointed out that the practice of intensive care medicine in Taiwan has become as developed as that in other advanced countries over the years with the government’s assistance and the public’s active investment.According to the latest statistic, the number of wards set aside for patients with complications associated with pandemic influenza A (H1N1) infection is over 6800.The number of the wards that are currently available is 1700.As a result, Professor Tang said that as long as the wards are well-managed, the number of intensive care wards available in Taiwan will suffice the needs resulted from the pandemic influenza A (H1N1) outbreaks.However, due to the coverage of the National Health Insurance, people pay less for medical treatment, which is a benefit that can be abused, resulting in a waste of medical resources.Hence, Professor Tang urged everyone to respect professionalism and treasure medical resources.

In addition, CECC also urged people without any influenza-like symptoms to not take the rapid diagnostic test even if they are paying for the test by themselves.CECC stressed that it is not only pointless for people without influenza-like symptoms to take rapid diagnostic tests, but also a waste of medical resources.Therefore, CECC notified all clinics and hospitals through mail to turn down all unreasonable requests to take rapid diagnostics tests made by companies or schools on September 12, 2009.

On the other hand, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued advice on measures to be implemented by schools in response to the 2009influenza pandemic on September 11, 2009, which are similar in spirit to the measures presently undertaken by the schools in Taiwan.