The New Taipei City Fire Department on Friday rejected a NT$1 compensation claim over its allegedly delayed response to telephone calls by a family whose toddler had severe COVID-19 symptoms.
A fire department task force on state compensation found it responded to the April 14 calls “without delay,” an official said on Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The toddler died five days after the initial calls at a local hospital.
Photo: Lin Hsiao-yun, Taipei Times
The task force determined that the department correctly followed guidelines set by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on ambulance dispatch for COVID-19 patients, the official said.
The toddler, nicknamed En En (恩恩), developed severe COVID-19 symptoms and lost consciousness at home on April 14. An ambulance arrived at the residence 81 minutes after the first call, sparking controversy over the department’s handling of the case.
Since May 27, En En’s father, surnamed Lin (林), has repeatedly appealed to the New Taipei City government for access to telephone records between government agencies regarding the emergency request, but his requests have been refused.
The phone records were later leaked and released by Chinese-language media.
Lin on Aug. 16 asked for NT$1 from the fire department, saying the symbolic compensation would force it to be honest about the delayed ambulance dispatch.
Lin says the delay is directly linked to his son’s death, and with his efforts he seeks to ensure that similar incidents do not happen in the future.
A CECC investigation into the case found that the ambulance was dispatched after city authorities found a suitable hospital bed for En En, a report showed on July 5.
City officials said the CECC guidelines stipulate that a COVID-19 patient be assigned to a designated hospital bed before an ambulance can be dispatched.
However, CECC officials said an ambulance should be sent immediately to a COVID-19-related emergency.
In potentially life-threatening situations, such as when a person is unconscious, an ambulance should be dispatched regardless of availability of a hospital bed designated for COVID-19 patients, they said.
Lin filed separate NT$1 claims with the city government, the fire department and the New Taipei City Health Department.
The health department task force on state compensation also discussed the case on Friday, but decided not to make its conclusion public, a separate official speaking on condition of anonymity said.
The city government’s task force on state compensation is scheduled to meet today to review the case.
Lin yesterday said he hopes the city government will clear up some issues, including how many people were on duty at the health center in Jhonghe District (中和) on April 14.
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