A doctor is calling on people to avoid travel abroad during the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in order to avoid depleting Taiwan’s limited medical resources.
In a Facebook post, Doctor Su Yi-feng of the Taipei City Hospital outlined the cost of inspecting and quarantining every person who enters Taiwan. His figures show that quarantine procedures for each suspected case of COVID-19 cost between NT$20,000 and NT$50,000 (US$662 to US$1655). Treatment for each confirmed case costs ten times as much, since each patient needs prolonged medical treatment.
Su says the worst possible scenario is a case of infection that spreads to other people. He says this requires large numbers of medical staff to work around the clock, treating confirmed cases and tracking down all those who may have come into contact with these existing patients. He says this can push medical staff to exhaustion and bring the medical system closer to the brink of collapse.
In his post, Su says that people should only travel internationally if it is absolutely necessary.