In response to the needs for medical care and social welfare in the aftermath of the Formosa Fun Coast Dust Explosion,Deputy Minister Lin Tzou-Yien presided at the 20th meeting of the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s (MOHW) ad-hoc group at noon today (August 6th). Besides deliberating the current situation of issues such as the inventory of medical capacity, the supplies of medicines and medical materials, patient referrals, and the deployment and utilization of domestic medical personnel, matters such as follow-up care of patients, subsidies for hard work and other issues were also discussed. 

1. Statistics on the treatment of victims from the Formosa Fun Coast Dust Explosion: As of 10:00 AM on August 6th, 281 people continued to receive inpatient treatment, 133 were in intensive care units, 95 were in critical condition, and 10 have passed away. In addition, 1,253 beds were available in the intensive care units, and 60 were available in the burn intensive care units. 

2. As of August 5th, social workers have been dispatched 4,402 times to console 22,198 people. Medical social workers have been dispatched 19,434 times to offer care services to 40, 918 people, including patients and their family members. Case follow-ups have been performed on a total of 195 people. 

3. The standards regarding the granting of subsidies for hard work and overtime are based on the budget expenditure plan approved by the Executive Yuan. 942 million NTD from the Second Reserve Fund of the Executive Yuan will be used to provide the aforementioned subsidies. People who are eligible for the subsidies include physicians, nursing personnel, other medical personnel, social workers, and other personnel that have provided assistance. The subsidies are calculated based on the work done in the 2 months after the incident (June 27th to August 26th) and the application process is separated into two phases. The first phase was from June 27th to July 15th. Hospitals should complete their application by August 10th, and the MOHW will give out the subsidies to applicants as soon as possible. The budget approved for the procurement of cadaveric skin is 200 million NTD, and the budget for helping victims of the accident get back on their feet is 200 million NTD. 

4. The goal of the PAC plan announced by the National Health Administration Ministry of Health and Welfare, MOHW is to improve the allocation efficiency of emergency medical resources for burn victims and the seamless integration of long-term care services. The plan covers daytime care, clinical rehabilitation, and care institutions, and the target group for the plan is the burn victims of this accident. The plan will provide 500 burn victims with accessible nearby case-based care and rehabilitation so that they can recover and regain their bodily functions as quickly as possible and allow them to go about their daily lives independently. 

5. Minister Chiang of the MOHW would like to once again thank all medical and care service teams for their hard work, and the provision of subsidies for the hard work is merely a small token of appreciation from the government. For any relevant information about the supplies of medicines and medical materials, the hospitalization and treatment of victims, social welfare resources, fundraising, and other matters, please search the “Information Section for the 0627 Formosa Fun Coast Dust Explosion” at http://www.mohw.gov.tw/CHT/blast/ on the MOHW official website.