Hou Willing to Take Responsibility for Enen Case 恩恩案爭議延燒 侯友宜:會負全部責任

Controversies arising from the death of two-year-old Enen from COVID-19 continue to swirl. New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih indicated his willingness to shoulder the entire responsibility while Enen's father requested that the city government complete the investigation of its disease prevention SOPs.

Hou Yu-ih, Mayor, New Taipei City: “As mayor of New Taipei City, I will take responsibility no matter what.”

New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih indicated his willingness to shoulder the entire responsibility for the case involving the death of a two-year-old nicknamed Enen from COVID-19, hoping to put an end to the controversy. The New Taipei City Government has been accused of passively handling the case, and the mayor said he sympathizes because he too has experienced the loss of a child. This is why protecting lives has always been his most important mission. He also expressed regret that recordings showing Enen's parents had to wait 81 minutes for an ambulance were leaked.

Hou Yu-ih, Mayor, New Taipei City: “The central government said during a public meeting that New Taipei City didn’t delay medical treatment. The leakage of recordings caused complications for family members and related colleagues, and I feel deep regret.  ”

Hou said he believes everyone did their best. The city government maintains that it was complying with central government guidelines. However, the Central Epidemic Command Center said 119 is capable of accepting cases and sending ambulances as well as contacting health authorities. Enen’s father has put the blame for the delay in medical treatment on New Taipei City’s own disease prevention SOPs, under which ambulances can only be sent to pick up confirmed cases with the authorization of the Department of Health. He said the heads of the Fire Department and Department of Health should take responsibility and resign and asked when Hou heard the complete recordings.

Mr. Lin, Enen's Father: “No matter if it's the horizontal or my wife reporting the case by telephone, when did you hear them? Did you already hear them at the first instance, in mid-April, when there was an internal review meeting? What were your impressions? If you heard all of them and you still think there are no internal problems, then you don't need to apologize. I think you're aware of your internal problems. ”

The father said the entire incident shows that health authorities didn’t have staff working 24 hours a day, and he demanded that the city stop being so vague. It should integrate internal reports and provide the truth to everyone. He didn’t rule out legal channels to get justice.

新北市長侯友宜說：「不管如何，身為新北市的市長，我都會負起責任。」

新北市長侯友宜22日親上火線，將責任一肩扛，試圖平息恩恩案爭議。新北市府挨轟處理態度消極，侯友宜表示，自己曾經失去過，感同身受，因此保護好生命，一直是他最重要的任務。但對於關鍵的81分鐘錄音檔被流出，侯友宜表達遺憾。

新北市長侯友宜說：「那中央也在公開的開會場合說，新北市並沒有延誤就醫，錄音檔的外洩造成家屬，以及相關同仁的困擾，我深感愧疚。」

侯友宜向市府同仁喊話，相信大家都盡力。不過，新北市府堅持當時遵照中央指引，但指揮中心指出，119收案可派車，同時也可聯絡衛生局。恩恩爸重申，就是因為新北獨創防疫SOP，確診者要衛生局同意才能派救護車，導致延誤就醫，因此他除了點名消防局長、衛生局長必須下台負責，也質問侯友宜何時就聽到完整音檔？

恩恩爸爸林先生認為：「不管是橫向或我老婆的報案電話，你到底是什麼時間聽到的，你在第一時間，4月中下旬，你們內部檢討報告，你就聽過了嗎？你的感受是什麼？如果你都聽完，還覺得你們內部沒有問題的話，你今天不用道歉，我相信你一定知道你們內部的問題。」

恩恩爸表示，整起事件突顯新北市防疫派遣中心鬧空城、衛生局也沒有24小時值班人員，要求市府不要再打模糊仗，盡速完成行政調查，結合內部報告，將真相公諸於世，也不排除尋求法律途徑討公道。