[Current hygiene and medical conditions] [Disease Control Plan] [Free Clinic]

The function, scope and items of the medical and hygiene operation

1. Medical and hygiene operation : Executing a health check before entering the prison, strengthening the immune system, prevention and control of infectious diseases, waste management, sound medical system, giving health education, prevention of chest diseases and group infections within the prison, giving inspections concerning infectious diseases, making good use of outside medical resources.
2. Rehabilitation operation : In frequent contacts with the doctors in the department of psychology to assist rehabilitating inmates to overcome the uncomfortable feelings from symptoms during their pre-release period; holding outdoor activities to help rehabilitating inmates to regain healthy body; better informing inmates as to the danger of shared needles heads; giving individual or group counseling to rehabilitation inmates.

The de-facto condition of medical and hygiene operation

1. Health check : Carrying out a health check for new inmates; filing their health check results and other relevant medical information.
2. Medical consulting service : Contracted hospitals designate doctors to come to the prison at a regular time during daytime to offer medical service.
3. Chinese medicine consulting service (inmates have to pay themselves) : Doctors from a Chinese clinic and their medical assistants regularly come to the prison and to give medical service.
4. Dental service (inmates have to pay themselves) : Offering inmates various medical choices; dental service once a week within the prison.
5. Medical treatment and hospitalization outside of the prison during the guard and control period : an ill inmate cannot get proper medical treatments within the prison after a doctor's inspections. The doctor should apply a treatment outside of the prison for the inmate. As soon as we approve the application, the patient should be immediately sent to a contracted hospital to receive the necessary medical treatments or hospitalization.
6. Prevention of tuberculosis and psychological diseases : In cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control, every month new inmates must have an X-ray inspection; also, every inmate has an examination at least once each year. Those who have tuberculosis and psychological diseases should be transferred to Taipei Taoyuan Branch Prison to be treated. During imprisonment, they should be isolated and properly treated with medicine.
7. Prevention of AIDS : Cooperating with Taichung Public Health Bureau, every month new inmates have to take a HIV inspection; we also regularly require all inmates to take an HIV inspection.
8. Prevention of other infectious disease : Reinforcing environmental and sanitation checks and preventive tasks against infectious diseases; pesticides and preventing the growth of the virus medium.
9. Urine test : Tightening the control over cigarettes and drugs getting into the prison, we irregularly require inmates to take a urine test. In addition, new inmates and those who return from their home visits also have to have a urine test.
10. Development of the computer system with regard to the information & sanitation sub-system in the prison : using the computer system, we could efficiently see the medical records of the inmates. Thus we could easily manage the medicines for the inmates.
11. For the staff members and inmates in our prison, training in CPR and Heimlich : The staff members can take the training course either in Public Health Bureau in Taichung City or Public Health Bureau in Nantun District. They should take this course, pass the test and get a certificate at the end.
12. Correction agencies are highly populated institutions. Collaborative with the Ministry of Health and Welfare and health agencies in the district, we promote infection control and protection schemes and make related plans. We are inspected regularly and periodically. According to the announcements of the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, all personnel (including inmates) should receive a flu vaccine every year to achieve herd immunity and avoid cluster infection.

Future prospects

1. Collaborating with hospitals and clinics closely to enhance inmates’ healthcare services.
2. Tackling with the issues of aging society and the aging of inmates in correction agencies, we execute long-term care plans in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Welfare
3. Continuing to execute infection control measures in the agency.