#medicaldonation

[repetitive-tautology]

Hello all.

I'd like to spread something important for a friend of mine. His sister currently has cancer, and needs help treating it. Please, if you can, donate a little something: it all adds up.

Donate for Ava Reese here:

Ava Reese Medical costs organized by Mark Richey

My name is Marqus (Mark) Richey, and my little sister Ava was recently diagnosed with a very rare … Mark Richey needs your support for Ava R

[skeptaiwan]

Medical Donation and Other Advice

I recently recieved an e-mail from the Jen-Ai Hospital International Patient Center wishing me a Happy New Year and informing me of some of things currently happening at the Center. I was happy to see it and glad that medical institutions are taking the time to communicate with the public. I had some questions about medical donation in Taiwan, so I sent an e-mail to the Center's Project Director, Dr. Mark Chan. The doctor was nice enough to call me personally and answered my questions. Below are his responses to my questions, with some commentary from me. First though I'd like to thank Dr. Chan for his hard work and outreach.

Blood Donation

According to Dr. Chan, it is possible for foreigners living in Taiwan to donate blood. The first time you go, you will need to fill out a questionnaire about your health history. He suggested bringing a Chinese speaker along with you to help you communicate with the blood donation staff. He specifically told me about a blood drive bus near Chung Hsing University in Taichung. He also mentioned there is a greater need for RH- blood than other types. I would add to that, when you fill out the questionnaire do so honestly. Other people's health can be put at risk if you fail to do so. Also if you don't have RH- blood you can still donate, especially if you are an O blood type person.

Organ Donation I asked Mark about organ donation in the case of death. He told me that you can go to the Jen-Ai Hospital and fill out an advance directive along with an organ donation form explaining what kind of end-of-life care you would like and what you would like done with your organs. This however is only accessible at Jen-Ai Hospital. 

Alternatively, you can go to an NHI service center near you and fill out the same forms to be included with your national health record. That way no matter where you receive care, your information will be accessible by hospital staff. Other Advice

Dr. Chan also suggests you take advantage of your NHI card and the NHI system. As most Teachers and foreign workers are already enrolled in the insurance program through work, you might as well use it. He also suggested going to the doctor earlier rather than later.

I understand coming from a country where medicine isn't cheap, the urge to wait and see if things get really bad before seeking medical attention. However, the benefit of national health care is you can seek medical attention before your illness becomes a greater risk to yourself and those around you. So go early and go often, if you are sick that is. My Two Cents

Skepticism doesn't need to be all about logical fallacies and internet debates. Things like medical donation can make a real difference in the world. So if like me, you believe in the medical system, consider donating blood and signing up as an organ donor. You can really do some good out there. Again thanks to Dr. Mark Chan and the Jen-Ai Hospital.