The charter flight for emergency medical treatment will fly from Guangzhou to Taipei tomorrow (September 14, 2006), marking the first such flight since Taiwan announced the policy on four types of specialized charter flights on June 14, 2006
An application for the charter flight for emergency medical treatment was submitted to the Immigration Office under the National Police Agency on September 12, 2006. This is the first time that such application was filed since the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) jointly announced on June 14 this year that both sides across the Strait have reached a consensus on first implementing four types of specialized charter flights. They include: specialized cargo charter flights, institutionalization of holiday passenger charter flights, charter flights for emergency medical treatment, and special humanitarian charter flights for emergency relief and persons with disabilities (or illness).
The MAC indicated that this case involves a 70-year-old male, a family member of a Taiwanese businessman surnamed Chen, who was suddenly struck with brain hemorrhage in Guangdong Province on September 8, 2006. He has been sent to Houjie Hospital, Dongguan for treatment, but is still in critical condition. His family thus entrusted the International SOS Rescue Organization to arrange immediate transfer of the patient to the Taipei Veterans General Hospital (Taipei VGH) for treatment. The family has submitted an application to the Immigration Office under the National Police Agency through the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), requesting special permission for the patient and family to return Taiwan by taking the charter flight for emergency medical treatment in company of Chinese medical care personnel.
The flight will be made by a China-registered aircraft. Taiwan's air carriers have been commissioned to apply with the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) for arranging a same day round-trip flight between Guangzhou and Taipei on September 14, 2006.
In accordance with the existing mechanisms, the Immigration Office under the National Police Agency today (September 13, 2006) convened an emergency ad hoc meeting attended by representatives of relevant agencies and decided to approve the entry and exit of persons on the charter flight. The CAA will also approve the charter flight application.
The MAC stated that with regard to the unfortunate traffic accident occurring a few days ago involving 20 Taiwanese tourists in Jilin Province, China, the SEF today contacted the relevant travel agencies as well as the wounded and their families. If the wounded persons wish to take the charter flight back to Taiwan for treatment, the government agencies will certainly provide all possible assistance to make such arrangements.