Page Three

National Taiwan Museum and Taipei City Hospital plan ‘dementia friendly museum’

Taiwan News  
Date: 2019/05/07
By: Lyla Liu, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The NTU and the TCH promoted the dementia friendly museum (Photo by Taiwan News)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – National Taiwan Museum (NTM) and Taipei City Hospital (TCH) have proposed a “Dementia Friendly Museum” plan featuring trained volunteers and special exhibits.

According to the World Health Organization, in 2018 there were more than 280,000 people suffering from Dementia in Taiwan. In order to help the dementia patients, TCH has cooperated with NTM to make the museum into a “Dementia Friendly Museum” with special themed exhibitions and trained volunteers to help the elderly.

The curator of the NTM, Hong Shi-yo (洪世佑), stated that there have been previous examples of the benefit museums can provide to those who suffer from mental illnesses. As a result, NTM has specially trained 32 volunteers to guide dementia patients when they come to visit the museum.

Moreover, NTM plans to help other mental illness patients, and plan to work further with the TCH to organize these other related exhibitions.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan expert develops smartphone app to identify medications

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/05/07
By: Hsu Chi-wei and Elizabeth Hsu

Photo courtesy of National Yang-Ming University

Taipei, May 7 (CNA) Because of concern over patients taking the wrong medications due to similarities in the appearance of some of them, National Yang-Ming University associate professor in family medicine Chen Yu-chun (陳育群) has developed a smartphone app to help users identify drugs and medications.

The app, named AIGIA Pharmacist, can identify 400 commonly used drugs and medications in Taiwan with the assistance of a drug- photographing device called MedBox, Chen said at a press conference in Taipei Tuesday.

Around 18,000 drugs and medications are currently covered by the country’s National Health Insurance (NHI) system, Chen said, many of which are in the form of pills that are of similar appearance and size, which can mislead patients into taking the wrong medications.

During home visits, Chen, who is also a physician at the Department of Family Medicine of Taipei Veterans General Hospital, recalled that he once found an elderly bed-ridden patient who often suffered from stomach gas, despite having been given medication for his ailment.    [FULL  STORY]

Stakeholders examine protections for travelers

LABOR DISPUTE: Airlines called for advance warning of a strike from unions, while travel agencies asked that they be absolved of liability for such disruptions

Taipei Times
Date: May 08, 2019
By: Shelley Shan  /  Staff reporter

The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA), travel agents and airlines have proposed ways to protect travelers ahead of a possible strike by EVA Airways flight attendants.

Members of the Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union, which consists of China Airlines and EVA flight attendants, is on Monday next week scheduled to begin voting on whether the EVA flight attendants should go on strike.

The union has about 5,700 members, of whom 3,100 are EVA flight attendants.

EVA flight attendants have said that they would not go on strike if the motion does not secure the approval of at least 2,850 union members and 2,480 EVA flight attendants.
[FULL  STORY]

Government under fire for damaging natural habit on Mt. Hehuan

Radio Taiwan International 
Date: 06 May, 2019
By: Jake Chen

Mount Hehuan. (CNA Photo)

The government recently halted a road expansion project on Mt. Hehuan, in central Taiwan. That’s after it drew strong criticism for damaging the natural ecology in the area.

The sight of an excavator digging through the side of Mount Hehuan has stunned environmentalists and local residents. Environmental groups have sounded the alarm on Facebook, saying that the local scenery and ecology cannot be artificially recreated once it’s destroyed.

The groups also cite Taiwan’s National Park Law, saying there are strict limits on developing an area like this. One environmentalist points out that the work has been going on for days, but they have not yet put up a sign to inform the public about what they are doing.

It turns out that the agency in charge of the project is the Directorate General of Highways. An official has responded to the public outcry, saying that the plan is to widen the road while fixing damage caused by natural disasters. He says it’s an emergency project and therefore does not require an environmental assessment.    [FULL  STORY]

President Tsai praises robust Taiwan-Tuvalu relations

Taiwan Today
Date: May 06, 2019

President Tsai Ing-wen (right) and Tuvalu Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga discuss Taiwan-Tuvalu relations at the Presidential Office May 3 in Taipei City. (Courtesy of PO)

President Tsai Ing-wen (right) and Tuvalu Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga discuss Taiwan-Tuvalu relations at the Presidential Office May 3 in Taipei City. (Courtesy of PO)
President Tsai Ing-wen said May 3 that the government will strengthen cooperation and exchanges with Tuvalu across the board so as to create more mutually beneficial opportunities for the people of both countries.

Taiwan and Tuvalu are committed to promoting sustainable national development while facing pressing challenges together, Tsai said. This includes combating climate change by realizing relevant U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, she added.

The country is ready, willing and able to share its related experience and know-how, Tsai said, playing an even greater role in advancing regional and global well-being.

Tsai made the remarks during a meeting with Tuvalu Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga at the Presidential Office in Taipei City. The leader of the Indo-Pacific ally is in Taiwan on a six-day official visit at the head of a 24-member delegation.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan to be foot-and-mouth-disease-free next year: Council of Agriculture

The agency says no virus found since last July

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/05/06
By:  Taiwan News, Staff Writer

(By Wikimedia Commons)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Executive Yuan’s Council of Agriculture (COA) announced on Monday (May 6) that Taiwan has successfully eradicated the foot and mouth disease (FMD).

After 23 years of combatting FMD, Taiwan has finally been able to claim itself free from the epidemic, said COA deputy minister Huang Chin-cheng (黃金城) on Monday (May 6).

Huang told the media that the government will be able to submit documented evidence to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) in July to be endorsed as a “FMD free country where vaccination is not practiced.”

The OIE requires countries to demonstrate no infection with FMD virus in unvaccinated animals after ending vaccination for 12 months. Taiwan stopped vaccination practice in June last year.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan’s military monitoring PLA movements closely: MND

Focus’ Taiwan
Date: 2019/05/06
By: Matt Yu and Ko Lin

(CNA graphic)

Taipei, May 6 (CNA) The military will continue to monitor the situation closely as China conducts a series of live-fire naval drills near Taiwan, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Monday.

Taiwan’s military has firm command of any activity carried out by China’s People’s Liberation Army near Taiwan and is monitoring its movements closely, MND spokesman Chen Chung-chi (陳中吉) said.    [FULL  STORY]

Man charged with having sex with 13-year-old niece

Taipei Times
Date: May 07, 2019
By: Chen Wei-tzu and Jonathan Chin  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

A man who had been convicted, but had served no prison time for the statutory rape of his 13-year-old niece, was on Friday charged with having sex with her, which resulted in her pregnancy, the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office said on Friday.

The New Taipei City District Court had previously convicted the man for having a sexual relationship with the girl from March to April 2016, the office said.

While the man was sentenced to two years in prison, he was granted five years of probation and served no time in prison, the office said.

The judge had written in the verdict that the man should be granted leniency, as the girl had initiated the relationship and that she later expressed a willingness to forgive the man, as did her parents, the office said.    [FULL  STORY]

In rare event, former President Chen and Taipei Mayor Ko appear together at Chen’s book launch

Formosa News
Date: 2019/05/05

On a rare occassion, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je and former President Chen Shui-bian appeared together at a book launch to promote Chen’s oral history memoir today. Visibly upset with reporters constantly filming his shaking hands, Chen asked Ko, a former doctor, to give a diagnosis. Ko simply threw out a medical term without elaboration. Many saw Ko’s sharing a stage with the pro-independence firebrand as a way to court deep green voters.

At the launch of his memoir, former President Chen was dissatisfied with everyone questioning if he was faking the trembling in his hands. He simply outstretched one hand so everyone could get enough time to film it.     [FULL  STORY]

China tries to bully Taiwanese students out of food market in Hungary

MOFA protested though pro-Taiwanese Hungarian lawmakers

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/05/04
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

China tried to remove Taiwan from a Hungarian university food festival (screenshot from hirek.unideb.hu)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has protested after China tried to force Taiwanese students out of a food market at their university in Hungary, reports said Saturday (May 4).

The University of Debrecen planned its annual International Food Day for May 3, inviting its students from 113 countries to set up stands and sell their gastronomic delights.

However, China objected to the presence of Taiwan on the program, leading to the island nation’s team being banned from the event, the Central News Agency reported.

The students alerted the Taiwanese representative office in the capital Budapest, which asked pro-Taiwan legislators to contact the university.    [FULL  STORY]