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Recently, the Ministry of Health & Welfare (MOHW) announced a policy that patients that are only slightly ill cannot go a general hospital or a tertiary facility without bearing some of the medicine expense themselves. The MOHW has established a committee to make decisions on what constitutes a slight illness, and the committee has defined 51 diseases as such. Unfortunately, all type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been included, with the exceptions of diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome. Why do MOHW administrators and committee members consider T2DM to be similar to the common cold as a slight illness? My intention is they don’t know the fact that chronic disease, such as T2DM, not managed effectively without general hospitals. If they think so, they do not know the importance of the management and outcome of T2DM. I sincerely recommend that MOHW and committee members withdraw such an absurd policy and create an alternative policy.
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