Chiayi County promotes child development and medical autonomy

Chiayi County is conducting community health initiatives focused on early childhood development and medical autonomy.

On May 15, the Chiayi County Government and Chiayi Christian Hospital hosted a child development promotion fair. Using the original picture book ‘Slow Monkey’s Birthday Adventure,’ the event utilized games and rhythmic activities to teach parents about developmental milestones in language, cognition, and social interaction. The county has maintained a partnership with Chiayi Christian Hospital for 28 years to provide early intervention services for children with developmental delays, serving approximately 30,000 families. Officials emphasized the importance of the ‘golden period’ for intervention between ages 0 and 3.

Separately, the Chiayi County Health Bureau held a community health screening event at Zhuzaki High School to promote advance medical directives, palliative care, and organ donation. The initiative aims to help citizens exercise autonomy over their medical care. Currently, the county has recorded 736 advance medical directives, 12,903 palliative care intentions, and 7,698 organ donation signatures. Designated hospitals in the region, including Chiayi Chang Gung and Tzu Chi, provide counseling for these medical decisions.