Following the deadly fire at a private long-term care facility in Neihu, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je blamed the operator for its failure to register the facility. He revealed that underground facilities might become a loophole in the fire-safety inspections.


A fire at an unlicensed nursing home in Taipei claimed three lives and the tragedy has highlighted the potential danger of unregistered long-term care facilities. The public pointed their blame at the Taipei City Government for its negligence, or a complete lack of, regular inspection. Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je revealed that the operator did not register the nursing home, which he believed is the main cause of the tragedy.

Things are simpler for those who take the proper registration procedures because the city government will conduct strict inspections on those. The problem we are facing now is that the operators wanted to avoid the inspection, therefore, they would just avoid the registration process altogether.

The Taipei City Council has demanded a special report from the city government, as councilors believe it is a structural problem. The three elderly victims were classified as low-income subsidy recipients, who lived apart from their family and did not have any life skills. In other words, their survival solely depend on the government's subsidy. A Taipei City Councilor criticized the Department of Social Welfare as it failed to visit the elderly.

(We were not informed, and therefore we didn't visit the elderly.) Why should you be informed when that's your main duty? Do you need to wait for your salary every month? The money just got transferred into your account when the time comes. This is your job. How dare you said you weren't informed so you didn't visit? He was categorized as zero income household, he was already paralyzed.

According to the Department of Social Welfare, 17 unregistered long-term care facilities have been fined. Furthermore, the Department is carrying out re-inspection and follow-ups on the residents of the five long-term care facilities that have shut down businesses in the recent three years. In the future, the Department will work with health care service centers, service centers for the elderly and the Chiefs of Villages to inspect suspected illegal long-term care centers.

We are carrying out re-inspection at the original site to understand the current condition. Then we will work and coordinate with other departments to follow-up on the original residents of that particular facility.

Illegal long-term care facilities further showed that demands of beds weren't satisfied in residential institutions in Taipei. In response, the Department of Social Welfare said in reality, beds are short by 4,000 in Taipei due to the Taipei City Government's strict regulation on setting up long-term care centers. It is aiming to set up the facilities in public housings in the future.



台北市內湖一家私人養護所日前發生火警，釀成3死意外，也燒出幽靈長照機構漏洞，外界將矛頭指向北市府沒有落實查核，對此，台北市長柯文哲坦言，業者規避立案，走向地下化，是導致這起悲劇的主要原因。

台北市長 柯文哲表示：「有來登記登錄，有營業場所，這簡單。因為對台北市政府來講，他已經有嚴格查核，所以現在面臨一個問題，就是說，乾脆不來登記。」

台北市議會要求市府進行專案報告，議員更痛批社會局制度殺人，針對罹難的三名長者，分別是一般戶，領有低收二類、以及低收零類補助，對於這類沒有任何經濟跟生活能力，只能仰賴政府補助維生，基本上是獨老的長者，議員砲口對準社會局，質疑社會局沒有訪視紀錄。

國民黨台北市議員 王浩表示：「（就是我們沒有接到通報，所以沒有訪視。) 這是你主要的責任，什麼叫通報？你每個月領薪水，需要等待嗎？時間到，錢就進你的薪水帳戶，這是你的責任。結果你敢在這裡說，你沒有接到通報，你沒有訪視。零類，他已經癱瘓在床了！」

社會局表示，目前查出近3年有5家歇業機構，目前除了進行原址複查，以及住民後續追蹤，未來也會攜手各區健康服務中心、老服中心、里長，針對疑似或被通報的未立案機構進行清查，並列管追蹤。截至目前為止，已經開罰17件未立案安養護機構。

台北市社會局長 周榆修表示：「一個是原址複查，就那個地方，到底狀況是怎麼樣？然後住民的追蹤，那麼會來研擬這個歇業機構，就是和住民，住的人，後續跨部協調追蹤流程。」

幽靈長照機構突顯台北住宿式機構，床位供不應求，社會局坦言，台北缺床數多達4000張，由於台北土地寸土寸金，北市府表示設立門檻很高，未來朝向利用公宅去研擬設置。