In response to the needs for medical care and social welfare in the aftermath of the Formosa Fun Coast Dust Explosion, Minister Chiang Been-Huang of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) presided at the twelfth meeting of the MOHW ad hoc group this afternoon (July 11th) to understand and discuss the follow up regarding the inventory of medical capacity, supply of medications and medical supplies, medical referrals for the injured, deployment and utilization of domestic medical personnel, case-based care, social welfare and relief services, and the handling of other issues. 

1. The best medical care for the injured should be the chief priority when referral treatments are being considered. The EOC (Emergency Operation Center) platform and the Medical Expert Advisory Group will assist with referrals so that an adequate medical environment may be provided to the injured, while avoiding compromising other medical resources. As of July 11th, 1,143 support personnel have been registered on the EOC Support Staff Integration Platform (76 physicians, 1,000 nursing personnel, and 67 other medical personnel). The MOHW has proactively increased the number of physicians available for deployment. If physicians report manpower shortages through the various channels, the MOHW will also proactively investigate and evaluate the situation to ensure that there are no manpower shortages in all hospitals. Moreover, 1,065 beds are available in the intensive care units; 43 are available in the burn units, and 30 cases of patient referrals have been taken care of. 

2. A total of 700,000 cm2 of cadaveric skin were purchased from abroad in the first phase of procurement, and 312,000 cm2 have been imported and allocated to various hospitals. 86,300 cm2 of cadaveric skin will arrive in Taiwan from the U.S tomorrow (July 12th), and 301,700 cm2 of skin will arrive next week in batches from the U.S. Around 800,000 cm2 of cadaveric skin will be purchased during the second phase (the procurement process is currently actively ongoing). 

3. Statistics of hospitalization and treatment for the victims of the Formosa Fun Coast Dust Explosion: 
(1) As of 10:00 on July 11th, 406 people continued to receive inpatient treatment at 46 hospitals. Of the hospitalized victims, 274 were in intensive care units, 214 were in critical condition, and 4 have passed away. They were treated at 46 hospitals in 13 cities and counties, namely: Keelung City, Taipei City, New Taipei City, Taoyuan City, Hsinchu City, Taichung City, Kaohsiung City, Tainan City, Changhua County, Chiayi County, Chiayi City, Hualien County, and Yilan County. 

(2) According to an analysis of the existing data, the average percentage of burned area for the victims of this incident was about 44%: 249 people sustained burns that covered over 40% of their body, and 22 people sustained burns that covered over 80% of their body. 
 
Minister Chiang would like to once again thank all the medical personnel and social workers for their hard work, and also the family members of the injured for their understanding.