Wang Fang Municipal Hospital (
The hospital operates as an educational and non-profit body -- a first for the city.
It leases its property from the city government, but is not under its direct supervision.
Since its establishment in February 1997, there have been three official medical disputes at the hospital, but it is believed by critics that the number could be much higher.
"The city's health bureau seems to have become [the hospital's] guardian angel, instead of being a protector of the patients," said City Councilor Lee Ching-yuan (李慶元) at a press conference yesterday.
Those attacking the facility said the hospital's 18-person monitoring committee does not appear to have done an effective job.
"It works together with the city government and the hospital to shelter, conspire and channel interests," Lee said.
City Councilor Chou Po-ya (
Peng Yen-wen (
"It's very patriarchal. Patients often find themselves fighting an uphill battle alone once mishaps occur," she said.
"We need a thorough reform of the medical system."
Sue Huang (
"How do you expect medical quality when a doctor has to see 50 to 100 patients in three hours?" she said. "The problem stems from the entire national health insurance system."
One of the cases in question occurred exactly three months ago on Jan. 28, in which Liu Mei-chun (劉梅君), 32 weeks pregnant, lost her baby at the hospital.
She alleges it was due to the absence of a doctor during the medical process.
According to Liu, she checked in to the hospital at 9:28am, suffering sharp stomach pains. The gynecologist, Chung Chun-yao (張君堯), did not show up until 10:40am, at which time ultrasound confirmed a lack of a fetal heartbeat.
The stillborn baby was not removed from her womb until 4:23pm, seven hours after she checked in.
Liu said she and her husband, Chiang Min-hsiu (
"I want to know why on earth they didn't tell us the truth so we could have transferred to another hospital earlier," Liu said.
The hospital later reportedly admitted making the mistake, but asked the couple to settle the case privately.
"I'm glad that I'm still alive," Liu said, "Unfortunately, we're not the only victims. I've heard about a lot more tragic cases."
Her husband said he hoped their ordeal would prompt a thorough investigation by related authorities.
"It's not just our problem. It's a problem concerning the whole community and the entire medical and health insurance systems," he said. "I hope we're the last ones to suffer."
Another woman, known only by her family name of Huang, did not escape with her life.
According to Councilor Lee, who has been following her case, the same gynecologist was to blame.
Lee said that Huang checked into the hospital at 1:45pm on Sept. 10, 1998, but was pronounced dead at 11:30pm the same day. She died from menorrhagia, or excessive menstrual discharge.
Chung did not show up until 5:40pm -- four hours after she checked in -- to perform a Caesarian section, which the family had asked for. Huang's baby was born at 11pm.
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