TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Former Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who has been detained on corruption charges since last September, underwent surgery Wednesday (April 2) morning for hydronephrosis and a ureteral stone in his left kidney. The prominent political figure arrived at the Ministry of Health and Welfare Taipei Hospital (衛福部台北醫院), Taiwan's cabinet-affiliated medical facility, at 7 a.m. before being transferred to the recovery room following the procedure. His wife, Peggy Chen (陳佩琪), was observed anxiously waiting outside the recovery area as medical staff monitored his condition.
Chen recently revealed that her husband had been suffering from alarming symptoms, including blood in his urine and persistent nausea, triggering fears about possible kidney failure. Medical professionals, who examined Ko while he remained under guard custody, determined that surgical intervention was necessary after his hospital visit the previous day. In a visibly emotional interview with reporters Wednesday morning, Chen expressed her frustration at the lack of communication, stating she had only been informed about the surgery the afternoon before. She mentioned having no knowledge of any details regarding the procedure, including the anesthesia method or the specific reasons why surgery was required.
Ko's sister, Ko Mei-lan (柯美蘭), expressed outrage over what she described as a troubling lack of transparency in her brother's medical treatment. Standing outside the hospital, she forcefully defended the right of patients and their families to receive comprehensive information about medical procedures. "This country is going crazy," Ko Mei-lan declared, calling on government officials to demonstrate greater empathy for families in such situations. She questioned the authorities' handling of the case, describing their approach as "excessive" and warning that the family would mount resistance if such treatment continued.
