( Observer Network News) The "En En Incident", Taiwan's first severe death case of COVID-19 in a local child, continues to ferment, and has turned from an epidemic case into a political event of concern to the whole Taiwan.
Comprehensive Taiwan United News Network and TVBS News reported on June 21 that the latest controversy was the exposure of a call recording between New Taipei City Fire Department and Health Bureau staff that night. The latter was accused of having a rash attitude and even laughed "haha", triggering criticize.
In this regard, the New Taipei City Health Bureau explained that it was a "wry smile" because the local fire and health bureau staff did not receive the nucleic acid diagnosis information of Enen's family from the infectious disease system of the Taiwan authorities until the moment before being sent to the hospital.
The severe epidemic on the island has lasted for several months, and new cases have remained high. On the 21st, there were 56,339 new locally confirmed cases and 65 imported cases from abroad, and 115 new deaths. What chills some Taiwanese people is that from April to now, the investigation into the death of New Taipei 2-year-old boy Enen without timely treatment has yet to be concluded, and controversial details have continued to emerge.
According to Taiwan media reports, Enen’s father said that on April 14, the day his child was diagnosed, he and his wife desperately called the emergency call. When they called the second time, they said that Enen was unconscious, but the New Taipei City Fire Department could not contact Zhonghe. District Health Center and New Taipei City Health Bureau, but it took 81 minutes for the ambulance to arrive. And "1922 (Taiwan Epidemic Prevention Emergency Line)" notified the North District Control Center of the Department of Disease Control and Prevention of the Taiwan authorities' health and welfare department 143 minutes after receiving the request. After 6 days of rescue, Enen unfortunately passed away on April 19.
html On May 27, Enen’s father requested the Taiwanese authorities to provide the call records between the family members and the emergency hotline, New Taipei City Health Bureau and other departments, as well as the lateral contact records of various units. On June 6, Enen’s father went to the New Taipei City Fire Station to listen to the audio files.A few days ago, Enen's father, Mr. Lin, alleged that when Enen's mother called the Zhonghe District Health Center in New Taipei City to dispatch an ambulance, the health center's voice automatically replied, "It's off duty now. Please wait until after office hours before calling again." No one is on duty. Mr. Lin also said that after the fire station found the person, he handed it over to others rashly. In the recording, it is also suspected that an operator from the New Taipei City Health Bureau laughed "haha". Mr. Lin was very sad after listening to the recording and said that the health bureau did not take the little life seriously.
Enen and his father, Mr. Lin
In this regard, New Taipei City Health Bureau spokesperson Gao Shiqi explained that because the two calls were made by different firefighters, the New Taipei City Health Bureau staff did not confirm the information until just before sending them to the hospital. After receiving the nucleic acid diagnosis results of the Enen family from the infectious disease system of the Taiwan authorities, the "bitter laughter" was not a laugh at the fact that the sick child was diagnosed.
Gao Shiqi also said that the staff member who answered the phone usually had a very polite tone. Although the environment and tone of the speech may have different interpretations for everyone, he definitely handled every call with all his heart. Because there were many cases that day, the phone calls were always continuous. The line was full. He was worried that the line would be busy if Shuanghe Hospital called back to confirm the hospital bed. He also took the initiative to inform the hospital of his mobile phone number so that the hospital could contact him in time when calling back and notify him to send him to the hospital.
As for the outside world's doubts that the New Taipei City Health Bureau did not arrange manpower for the night shift, the bureau responded that the switchboard of the Zhonghe District Health Center was set to switch to voice during non-working hours, but all staff were in the office that day. If the extension was not connected, it meant that they were busy. While on the line, staff were also handling another emergency case of children being sent to the hospital.
The New Taipei City Health Bureau added that on the evening of April 14th, the health bureau staff received a call from the fire department and proactively inquired about the case. When they learned that the patient had symptoms of purpura , they immediately contacted Shuanghe Hospital to arrange a dedicated bed for treatment. The hospital responded If the patient can be admitted, his family and the fire station will be notified immediately and he will be sent to the hospital.
Regarding the "wry smile" rhetoric of the New Taipei City Health Bureau, people on the island did not buy it and directly accused the bureau of being "cold-blooded" and "don't be stubborn if you make a mistake, as it will get worse and worse."
It is worth noting that the "En En Incident" intensified the struggle between the Taiwan authorities and the local administrative departments on the island. The target was once pointed at the functional level of the "1922 line" and the Taiwan authorities' first aid standard procedures. Wei Fu, a member of the Democratic Progressive Party of the Taiwan authorities, Department head Chen Shizhong and Kuomintang New Taipei City Mayor Hou Youyi once shouted to each other in front of the media.
On June 21, New Taipei City Deputy Mayor Liu Heran said at the epidemic briefing that the "Enen Case" had become an incident where "everyone said his own story", and there were even political manipulations and quotes out of context. The call record "let Colleagues who have worked hard for more than two years to prevent the epidemic are very frustrated." He also said that the incident should be returned to a simple place and let the judicial authorities investigate.
After the "recording showing laughter" incident was exposed, some Taiwanese people questioned the New Taipei City Health Bureau's claim that the nucleic acid information was received just moments before being sent to the hospital because it wanted to "pass the blame" on the hospital. However, some people attributed the incident to the fact that the Taiwanese authorities wanted to take advantage of the opportunity. "Suppressing the Mayors of Shuangbei", returning to the incident itself, the "incompetence of the epidemic prevention policy" of the Taiwan authorities is irrefutable.
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