Local government authorities are investigating the death of a six-month-old baby, whom they suspect might have been a victim of abuse, and they are also probing the case of another young child who was found to have bruises all over her body when she was hospitalized on Friday last week with a virus infection.
The six-month-old child was pronounced dead on arrival when he was taken to hospital on Friday night, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said on Saturday, adding that he had also fallen ill with what was believed to be a norovirus infection, which typically causes severe vomiting and diarrhea in children.
The two children, whose parents are undocumented migrant workers, were taken to Taipei hospitals on Friday by staff of the Taiwan Harmony Home Association, a non-governmental organization that provides shelter, medical assistance, hospice care, counseling and other services to Taiwanese and foreign nationals in need, the ministry said.
Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times
The one-year-old girl was transported from Taoyuan to a Taipei hospital, where she received emergency treatment, and was in stable condition as of Saturday, the Taipei City Department of Social Welfare said.
However, the child was found to be covered in bruises, and the case has been reported to the health ministry, said Yao Shu-wen (姚淑文), head of the city department, which is investigating the two cases.
While the boy did not have any obvious injuries, his death has also been reported to the health ministry as a possible case of abuse, as a precaution, Yao said.
Health authorities said that before his death, the boy was housed at an association shelter, but did not specify the shelter’s location.
The Taipei City Government said yesterday that child abuse could not yet be determined in either case, and they are both still being categorized as possible norovirus infections.
An autopsy is to be performed on the boy to determine the cause of death, while the girl would be tested for norovirus, the city government said.
Meanwhile, the Taoyuan Department of Social Welfare said that efforts are being made to locate the girl’s mother and her primary caregiver, who is also believed to be an undocumented migrant worker living in Taoyuan.
The department said it would collaborate with its counterpart in Taipei regarding the suspected case of child abuse.
In Taipei, the city government has called on the Ministry of Labor and the National Immigration Agency to review their regulations, as the two cases involve the children of undocumented migrant workers.
The two cases are being investigated by local authorities and would be reviewed by the MOHW when the findings are made available, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Lee Li-feng (李麗芬) said.
She said the health ministry has programs in place to care for children of undocumented migrant workers, and local governments are free to propose revisions of any relevant policies that they think are inadequate.
If any such proposals are put forward, the ministry would consult the Ministry of Labor and the National Immigration Agency on how to improve the care programs, she said.
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