A 35-year-old man critically injured in the Color Play Asia fire at Formosa Fun Coast (八仙海岸) on June 27 was discharged yesterday from New Taipei City’s Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, becoming the first victim with burns to more than 20 percent of their body to be sent home.
Chen Po-chang (陳柏璋), who suffered burns to 20.8 percent of his body, was wheeled out of the hospital in a wheelchair yesterday afternoon with burns clearly visible on his arms and legs.
Chen told reporters he was standing right in front of the main stage at the event at the Bali District (八里) water park when the explosion occurred, and that he ran so fast that he lost both his shoes.
Photo: Chen Wei-tsung, Taipei Times
He thanked his family and the hospital for their support, and encouraged the other victims of the fire to have faith in themselves.
Far Eastern Memorial Hospital superintendent Chu Shu-hsun (朱樹勳) said Chen’s release could prove inspirational to the other 18 fire victims the hospital is treating, including one who sustained burns over more than 17 percent of their body.
As of 10am yesterday, 426 fire victims remained hospitalized at 49 medical institutions nationwide, including 288 in intensive care units and 229 who are in critical condition, the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s statistics show.
Of those injured in the fire, 248 suffered burns over more than 40 percent of their bodies, with 22 sustaining burns covering at least 80 percent.
Meanwhile, amid mounting criticism over the fairness of the Executive Yuan giving civil servants with immediate relatives who were injured in the fire 20 days of paid leave, officials said private sector workers would receive financial support equivalent to 20 days’ wages.
In order to take care of all the families of the victims, New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) told Premier Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) in a telephone call that he would follow the Executive Yuan’s decision, Executive Yuan spokesperson Sun Lih-chyun (孫立群) said.
Chu told the premier that the money would come from donations made by members of the public to the fire victims that the city government has collected, Sun said.
The Executive Yuan on Monday said that 35 civil servants whose family members were hurt in the fire were entitled to a total of 20 days paid leave in line with the recently revised Operation Regulations on the Suspension of Offices and Classes in times of Natural Disasters (天然災害停止上班及上課作業辦法).
The move drew criticism because it appeared to favor civil servants over those employed in the private sector.
Under the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法), employees of private enterprises are entitled to 14 days of unpaid leave a year.
Chu said later yesterday that the New Taipei City Government would tap funds donated by companies and corporations to cover the cost of subsidizing the leave policy since the firms said they wanted the money to be used to take care of the fire victims and their families.
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