Prosecutors have begun investigating an incident on Monday in which Hsinchu Mayor Lin Junq-tzer (林政則) blocked three patients suffering from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) from being trans-ferred to the Hsinchu General Hospital, the district's prosecutors' office said yesterday.
"Prosecutors will review video tapes shot at the scene by the police and decide whether Lin should be indicted for his behavior," a press release said.
If indicted for interfering with public functions, Lin could face a maximum of seven years in jail.
At 4:10pm on Monday, Lin led a team of Hsinchu City councilors and borough wardens to the Hsinchu Hospital, which is under the authority of the Department of Health (DOH), where they prevented three ambulances carrying SARS patients from entering. Lin also enlisted the help of the Hsinchu City Police Department.
From Sunday, the Taipei City Government has been transferring 105 SARS patients from Taipei Municipal Hoping Hospital to other hospitals to "reduce the concerns of those quarantined inside the hospital," according to DOH Deputy Director Lee Lung-teng (
As of press time yesterday, 48 had been transferred to three other hospitals controlled by the DOH.
Lin complained outside Hsinchu Hospital that he was not officially informed that SARS patients were going to be transferred there. He said he wanted to keep Hsinchu a SARS-free area.
"No matter what, the Hsinchu Hospital is definitely not an ideal place to hospitalize SARS patients," he said.
"Look around here, the hospital is surrounded by schools and a residential area with a large population. Who will take the responsibility if SARS spreads in this community?" he said.
The stand-off ended at 11pm on Monday with the three patients entering the hospital after Lin accepted Lee's promise that officials would do whatever it took to prevent the spread of SARS in the area.
During a regular Cabinet meeting yesterday morning, Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said Lin's behavior was unacceptable.
"A public servant has no right to refuse help to people," he said.
But the Cabinet would not comment further while prosecutors were investigating, he said.
The mayor defended himself after the meeting, saying "it was merely a misunderstanding."
But three groups based in the city -- the Hsinchu Public Nuisance Prevention Association, the Hsinchu Culture Association and the Hsinchu Foundation -- along with TSU City Councillor Lee Yan-hui (
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique