Page 59 - An Overview of Penghu

XII Hygiene

General Hygiene

The climate of the Prefecture remains stable, while people's personal hygiene is good
in general. The population is also growing year by year. However, residents' lives are under
immense threat when infectious diseases break out due to their lack of hygienic concepts,
which is the result of inadequate hygienic facilities. Hence, the government plans to
reinforce hygiene infrastructure whenever the budget allows. The government also intends
to focus on campaigns promoting hygiene knowledge and instill hygiene-related common
sense in people via village or parent meetings.

Due to its special geographical properties, the County was battered by severe seasonal
winds in winter, which sweep up sand and dust into the air. People cannot frequently wash
the sand and dust off their faces due to inadequate water infrastructure; they suffer from eye
disorders that even lead to blindness in many cases, which is quite lamentable. The
government thus ordered experts to look into this issue, hoping to improve prevention and
treatments for eye diseases.

Medical Institutions

Magong Town enjoys well-equipped hospitals. Besides hospitals for the army and
navy, there are also the Penghu Hospital of the Government-General of Taiwan and private
dental clinics. Villages on other isles are beset by insufficient medical equipment. Although
the government does dispatch doctors to places that need them to fill the gap, their services
are still relatively limited. There is indeed room for improvement.

Infectious Diseases

Among all the infectious diseases in the Prefecture, Amebiasis used to be the one that
occurred all year round. However, the Prefecture saw its cases gradually dwindling with
only eight patients in 1931; no patients with the disorder have been found since 1932. The
number of patients with Typhoid Fever and bacteria-induced diarrhea increased sharply in
1931, with the former spreading deep into villages. However, thanks to the government's
paying close attention and its effort to prevent these two diseases, they were almost
eliminated in 1932, during which time only one patient was found.

Malaria

There is nothing worth noting about malaria in Penghu Prefecture because malaria
here is brought back and spread by those seeking jobs in Taiwan. Regions implementing
malaria-prevention measures are Huxi, Hudong, Nanliao, and Lintou in Huxi Village, and
Dongwei in Magong Town. The authority is conducting blood tests once a month on patients
carrying the pathogen, while forcing them to take medication. Meanwhile, the authority is
also asking cleaners in towns and villages to clean up wastewater from pig farming,
stagnant water, and rivers. People are encouraged to keep mosquito-consuming fish and use
mosquito nets or mosquito coils, to stop mosquitos from reproducing and malaria from
spreading.

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