The Control Yuan yesterday decided to discipline Taipei Municipal United Hospital Deputy Superintendent Wu Chen-lung (吳振龍) and Jen Ai Hospital neurological surgeon Liu Chi-hwa (劉奇樺) over the late-night rerouting of a severely injured four-year-old girl surnamed Chiu to a hospital in Taichung. The girl later died of her injuries.
The Control Yuan found that Wu, who is in charge of overseeing Jen Ai Hospital, was negligent in his duties and failed to properly oversee the operations of the hospital. Taipei Municipal United Hospital is responsible for the management of Jen Ai Hospital.
The Control Yuan determined that Liu did not examine Chiu according to standard procedure and collected incorrect information about Chiu's medical records. His decision to deny Chiu treatment at the hospital was also described as careless.
Another Jen Ai Hospital surgeon, Lin Chih-nan (林致南), who was on duty the night Chiu was sent to the hospital, was exempt from discipline because he is not a civil servant.
The Control Yuan said if Lin had been one, he would have been disciplined as well.
The severity of Wu and Liu's discipline will be decided by the Commission on the Disciplinary Sanctions of Public Functionaries (公務員懲戒委員會).
The Control Yuan also issued correction orders to the Taipei City Government and the Cabinet-level Department of Health regarding the rerouting of patients.
The Taipei City Government was corrected for the Emergency Operations Center's (EOC) ambiguous and flawed procedures and crisis management, while the department was corrected for the lack management of patient rerouting and providing alerts to other hospitals.
While the Control Yuan determined that the Taipei City Government was ultimately at fault, it did not name Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) or Taipei Municipal United Hospital superintendent and former director of the city government's department of health, Chang Heng (
"The rerouting was the fault of the EOC and Jen Ai Hospital ... and this is a problem with an individual hospital and not a structural problem. As such, Ma does not need to be disciplined," Control Yuan member Hsieh Ching-hui (謝慶輝) said.
"Chang Heng took the Taipei Municipal United Hospital post on Jan. 1, and it was not even ten days after his inauguration that Chiu was turned away from the hospital. It would be a bit harsh to hold him responsible for the hospital's negligence," Hsieh said.
In related developments, the Control Yuan also issued a corrective order to the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation yesterday for not taking enough measures to protect passenger safety around escalators.
The Control Yuan highlighted the New Year's Eve incident when five passengers fell while riding the escalator, injuring several people, one severely.
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