A 28-year-old computer engineer from Taiwan, who was in critical condition after breaking down with vascular disease, was sent home from southwestern China early Monday morning on a direct chartered flight.

The plane, an Airbus 320 of Taiwan TransAsia Airways, took off from the Shuangliu airport of Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province, at about 3 a.m. and is expected to have arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport around 6 a.m.

Aboard the plane, Tang Mingneng, who was diagnosed with arterial tumour at Sichuan Huaxi Hospital, was accompanied by his family members and four medical personnel with International SOS rescue agency.

Tang worked as an engineer for a Taiwan-based laptop computer repair company and came to Chengdu on March 22 for technology backup. He suddenly fell ill last Tuesday and was hospitalized Wednesday.

Doctors said Tang's condition had been stable but predicted massive haemorrhage could happen at any time. Tang's brother visited him last Thursday and said the family wished Tang would receive an operation in Taiwan. He applied for an emergency chartered flight, and the plan was promptly approved in two days.

The authorities of the two sides began allowing cross-Strait chartered flights for medical emergencies last June. More than six such flights had taken nearly 20 patients across the Strait so far.

(Xinhua News Agency April 2, 2007)