At noon today (July 12th), the National Health Insurance Administration released the latest statistics of the Formosa Fun Coast Dust Explosion. At present, 400 victims have sought medical assistance in 46 hospitals across 13 cities and counties. Among the victims, 5 are reported dead and 269 are currently in intensive care, with 213 reported to be in critical condition (161 in the Greater Taipei area, 24 in Northern Taiwan, 13 in Central Taiwan, 5 in Southern Taiwan, 9 in the Kaohsiung and Pingtung areas, and 1 in Eastern Taiwan). 

The MOHW Emergency Operation Center (EOC) continues to actively provide various hospitals with information regarding the availability of intensive care beds. Currently, the total number of available intensive care beds in the hospitals being used for the emergency nationwide is 1,065, including 253 in the Greater Taipei area, 109 in Northern Taiwan, 221 in Central Taiwan, 225 in Southern Taiwan, 205 in the Kaohsiung and Pingtung areas, and 52 in Eastern Taiwan. The total number of beds in burn intensive care units nationwide is 43, including 4 in Northern Taiwan, 17 in Central Taiwan, 9 in Southern Taiwan, 12 in the Kaohsiung and Pingtung areas, and 1 in Eastern Taiwan. Under the preconditions of referral safety and family consent, we have coordinated 31 referral cases, including 25 successful and 6 pending referrals. 

Currently, 1,144 medical workers are registered in the EOC Support Staff Integration Platform, comprising 76 doctors, 1,001 nurses, and 67 other medical personnel. As of yesterday (July 11th), 12 hospitals have requested 28 physicans, 18 physicians have been matched by the various hospitals, and we have successfully matched 11. The MOHW is continuing to actively assist and assess the dispatch of medical workers. Furthermore, we are actively investigating and taking into account any reports of insufficient manpower by medicals workers in various channels to ensure that the various participating hospitals are sufficiently staffed. 

The Taiwan Root Medical Peace Corps and the Taiwan Medical Association have invited the Japan Medical Association to send six physicians from the “Three Association Burn Treatment Medical Support Team” to Taiwan, and they arrived in Taiwan today (July 12th). The experts will visit various hospitals accommodating burn victims in the following week to exchange healthcare techniques and provide assistance and consultation. The MOHW would like to extend its most cordial gratitude to these experts. 

Following the dust explosion event, the entire medical system in Taiwan was actuated. Medical workers have exhausted all efforts in treating burn victims. However, 213 victims remain in critical condition, and mortalities are still being reported. The MOHW reminds medical institutes and teams of the importance of holding “family meetings” to explain the course, prognosis, and treatment plan to the victims and their family members. In addition, medical workers should maintain open communication with the victims and their family members throughout the treatment process to help family members understand the potential changes that victims may experience, thereby allowing family members to participate in the making of medical decisions. For severe burn victims that require advanced subsistence treatment, medical workers should actively communicate with family members. If the course of a victim’s injuries is diagnosed to be irreversible, we suggest the employment of a time-limited trial to reduce the suffering of the victim. 

Following the dust explosion event, a number of donors donated their cadaveric skin, greatly contributing to the treatment of the victims. The MOHW asserted that due to the limitations of present medical techniques, over 7000 patients await organ transplants each year. However, only roughly 150 people donate each year. This disproportion has led to many mortalities. The fourth casualty of the dust explosion, Mr. Su, showed his love for the world by donating numerous organs and tissues, benefiting numerous critically ill patients awaiting organ transplant. Besides our condolences, we would also like to show our deepest gratitude and respect to Mr. Su. The family members of the fifth casualty in the event, Ms. Huang, had also agreed to donate. However, due to discrepant criteria, the intention to donate could not be fulfilled. However, we would also like to express our sincerest gratitude to Ms. Huang for her devotion and love for the world. 

The MOHW would like to extend its gratitude to the medical workers that have committed themselves to treating the injuries of the victims. These staff members have assumed essential roles throughout the rescue process and subsequent care provision. The MOHW reminds medical workers to also pay attention to their own health, and to rest or seek medical attention if adverse symptoms are experienced. We also request that participating hospitals integrate relevant mental health resources and establish a 24-hour psychological consultation hotline for staff members, thereby providing psychological and emotional support to staff members in the hospital and alleviating the physical and psychological pressure they have experienced throughout the course of this event. Moreover, we appeal to the public to value limited medical resources and refrain from unnecessary wastage. The latest information relating to the dust explosion incident can be found on the MOHW website. For general queries, please call our consultation hotline at 02-85906199. To avoid harm, please do not believe or disseminate false information, home remedies, or other rumors.