Taiwan’ Today
Date: June 6, 2016
Taiwan’s successful medical achievement in treating burn victims following the flash-fire at
Taiwan delegates share the country’s experience in treating victims of the Formosa Fun Coast Park flash-fire May 25 to 27 at the European conference in Brussels. (CNA)
Formosa Fun Coast Park last June in New Taipei City won praise at a symposium on treating massive burn casualties held by the Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection under the European Commission in Brussels in late May.
The Taiwan delegation, led by Wang Tsung-hsi, director of Medical Affairs at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, shared the island’s experience after the incident, which left 499 injured, including more than 200 with burn areas of over 40 percent, and more than 20 with burn areas over 80 percent.
There have been several terrorist attacks in France and Belgium in recent years, leaving hundreds dead and injured. With so many incidents at the same time, the local hospitals could not accommodate the victims and had to send them to other countries. Delays in the immediate treatment of the patients, together with incomplete medical resources, pushed the mortality rate up to 20 percent to 50 percent. This compared to the death of 15 victims, or a mortality rate of 3 percent, for the Formosa Fun Coast Park flash-fire.
“That is why Taiwan was invited to the conference because they want to know how we did it,” Wang said. [FULL STORY]
