89 hospitals in Taiwan offer special clinics to treat long COVID

ROC Central News Agency

02/23/2022 07:55 PM

Taipei, Feb. 23 (CNA) A total of 89 hospitals in Taiwan are now offering special clinics to treat people who suffer from post-COVID-19 conditions, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Wednesday.

Huang Chao-chieh (黃兆杰), executive officer of the National Health Insurance Administration Medical Affairs Division, told at a CECC briefing that such clinics were being set up after many hospitals received complaints from patients who had recovered from the coronavirus disease but later found themselves suffering from post-COVID conditions.

'Long COVID'

Also known as "long COVID," these symptoms include hair loss, rashes, shortness of breath, lung tissue damage, heart palpitations, chest pains, heart muscles inflammation, as well as severe metabolic complications of preexisting diabetes, changes in their menstrual cycles, blood clots, and acute kidney injury, among others, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW).

Due to the wide-ranging effects of long COVID, many patients have to visit different branches or departments of a hospital for specific treatments, which can be costly and time-consuming, Huang said.

This is why the MOHW has proposed setting up special clinics at hospitals nationwide that incorporate expertise from across a wide range of medical specialties to offer a one-stop holistic service for patients, Huang said.

Such clinics also provide follow-up services to recovered COVID-19 patients, including both physical and psychological support to improve their quality of life, he said.

Since the program was first launched on Dec. 13, 89 hospitals around Taiwan have joined so far, he added.

Those who are suffering from long COVID are advised to visit https://reurl.cc/8Wz6qX (Chinese-language site) for more information on the special clinics, according to the MOHW.

(By Chang Ming-hsuan, Chen Chieh-ling, Chiang Hui-chung and Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/ASG