The president of Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation, Richard Chen (
He had been forced into an unusual working pattern by the effects of Typhoon Nari, which ravaged the country on Sept. 16 and shut down Taipei City's MRT system.
The 52-year-old Chen, a diabetes sufferer, checked into the Wan Fang Municipal Hospital (
He was still in hospital at press time last night and planning to take a week off work on the advice of his doctor.
Chen is not the only municipal official to fall ill this year because of overwork.
In August a municipal employee -- who faced disciplinary action for failing to supervise a bridge construction project properly -- died on the day that his punishment was to be announced after working for 55 hours without a break.
Another municipal employee, Lee Hung-cheng (
Lee, chief of the supply division of the city's maintenance works department, was found unconscious on the floor of his office at around 8:45am on July 31.
He was pronounced dead at 11:30am after being rushed to the Taipei Medical College Hospital. The cause of his death was cardiac arrest.
With overwork apparently a factor in the two deaths, a municipal official has called on the city government to review the city's relief efforts -- especially the operations of the ad hoc relief center.
The center, which operates in the event of a natural disaster or before a potential disaster strikes, is located in the municipal fire department building on Chunghsiao E. Road in the Hsinyi district.
The relevant municipal officials are required to report to the center 40 minutes after it commences operations and stay there until the center's functions are called off.
A municipal official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the center was a waste of time and manpower.
"It's a joke. We see many people sitting at the center all right, but most of them are waiting for the free meals rather than doing anything constructive," he said.
He said that he disagreed with Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) idea of letting borough wardens take charge of the regional relief efforts rather than city government officials.
Ma introduced the concept in the aftermath of Typhoon Xangsane, which struck in November last year, claiming 62 lives.
"Relief efforts should be a total-personnel mobilization instead of the sole responsibility of someone or some agencies," he said.
Besides, although the mayor has made it clear that borough wardens are supposed to serve as the commanders of regional relief efforts, they do not actually have the power to do so, he said.
"The police and cleaning squads, for example, don't report to the borough wardens but to the director of the police headquarters and the director of the environmental protection bureau," he said. "That being so, borough wardens are only executors rather than commanders in the relief efforts."
A better way to solve the problem was to allow those who have the most people and resources to take charge of the relief efforts, he said.
"Imagine how much more 8,000 law enforcement officers and firefighters can offer than the 435 borough wardens," he said.
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