Working with city and county public health centers, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) has activated the Influenza Contingency Hospital and Medical Scheduling mechanism. Three more hospitals, namely Chang Hua Hospital, MOHW (Level A), Chang Bing Show Chwan Memorial Hospital (Level A) and Yuan’s General Hospital in Kaohsiung (Level B), were added, bringing the total number of hospitals to 29. A referral mechanism was also set up to help differentiate the admission of patients. The general public can also seek medical treatment from a variety of channels in order to relieve the pressure on medical centers. According to statistics gathered at 10am on March 6, 9 hospitals were reported (41 times) to have over 5 people queuing for intensive care beds namely Tri-Service General Hospital (1 time), Taichung Veterans General Hospital (7 times), China Medical University Hospital (5 times), Chimei Hospital (10 times), National Cheng Kung University Hospital (8 times), Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (6 times), Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (2 times), Chiayi Christian Hospital (1 time) and Taipei Cathay General Hospital (1 time). On account of the hospital admission and treatment status and patients’ willingness to be referred, the contingency differentiation mechanism was activated 27 times: (Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 4 times; Taichung Veterans General Hospital, 3 times; Chimei Hospital, 9 times; National Cheng Kung University Hospital, 7 times; Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 2 times; Chiayi Christian Hospital, 1 time and Taipei Cathay General Hospital, 1 time). 
Since March 4, MOHW affiliated hospitals have admitted a total of 14 severe influenza cases referred from various overloaded hospitals. There were 6 cases from hospitals in Chiayi (Chiayi Christian Hospital, 4 cases; St. Martin De Porres Hospital, 1 case and Sin Lau Hospital, 1 case), 7 cases from hospitals in Tainan (National Cheng Kung University Hospital) and 1 case from Pingtung (Antai Community Hospital). Today, Tainan City Public Health Center is also assisting National Cheng Kung University Hospital to refer 2 cases to Chimei Hospital in Liuying District and Sin Lau Hospital in Tainan, and Kaohsiung City Public Health Center is assisting Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital to refer one case to Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital. 
With assistance from the Society of Extracorporeal Technology of Taiwan (SECTROC), the MOHW started its survey on the usage of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines from February 24. According to statistics collected, as of 10am on March 6, there are a total of 129 EMCO machines in Taiwan, and 47 of them are available. 107 EMCO have been installed in 36 Advanced Emergency Responsibility Hospitals nationwide; 29 of them are available. 
On account of the ongoing changes in ECMO machine usage in various hospitals and the probability of patient queuing, the MOHW’s Regional Emergency Medical Operation Centers (REMOC) have forwarded related statistics to local public health centers and Advanced Emergency Responsibility Hospitals, as a reference for liaising, scheduling or referral among hospitals, as well as for the negotiation of local public health centers. 
In the wake of the inspection on the previous day, it was found that there were no hospitals without an ECMO machine. Moreover, with the liaising of the MOHW’s Department of Medical Affairs, a number of medical bodies, including the Taiwan Medical Association (TMA), SECTROC, Taiwan Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (TATCS) and Taiwan Society of Cardiology (TSOC), have all agreed to assist in the tasks of communicating and negotiating among their members. 
Through its Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system, the MOHW has obtained information on vacant intensive-care bed numbers around the country. Moreover, it is continuing to organize “Video Conferences in Response to Influenza Epidemic and the Negotiation of Emergency Overload Handling” with local public health centers, working together to prevent influenza from spreading. By overseeing and assisting intensive care wards in emergency responsibility hospitals under their jurisdiction, and scheduling human resources and ECMO machines, they are endeavoring to assure medical capacity and prevent emergency medical operations from being compromised, in order to safeguard the public’s right to treatment.