Kuomintang congressman ranted about medical care in the emergency room, and the double standards of the second generation of politicians caused controversy

◎ Chi Ming

A few days ago, Li Baiyi, a KMT city councilor, used his "official power" to yell at medical staff because his child had to wait for half an hour in the emergency room. Later, he even used "he is a good father" as an emotional blackmail in an attempt to clear his name. Ironically, just a few days ago on a political commentary program, this "second-generation" congressman defended Taipei Mayor Chiang Wanan's eldest son's exchange student dispute with a red face and loudly shouted, "Don't the mayor's sons have the right to pursue their dreams?"

Li Boyi showed off his "official power" and yelled at the medical staff because his child had to wait for half an hour in the emergency room. Afterward, he cried and bowed to apologize. The picture shows Li Boyi. (File photo)

These two incidents accurately portray the absurd double standards of the privileged class. In the face of the children of powerful people, they hold high the "right to pursue dreams" and regard the outside world's doubts about avoiding interests as trivial; in the face of grassroots medical care, they regard "the love of parents in the world" as a gold medal to avoid death for illegally jumping in line, completely trampling on the life-and-death "triage" profession in the emergency room.

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What is chilling is that this kind of treatment of medical resources as a privilege is not an exception. Not long ago, it was revealed that legislator Luo Tingwei of the same party publicly listed "hospital bed requests" as a regular voter service on his official account, pretending that the legislator's powers were packaged as caring, but in reality, he was exercising pressure. In the past, legislators openly used hospital beds, and later in the emergency department, congressmen rushed to seek medical treatment. In the eyes of these blue-camp politicians, it seems that the medical classification and professional standards that Taiwan has worked so hard to establish should give way to their political privileges and the favor of voters.

Taiwan’s health insurance is by no means a cheap buffet for the privileged class, and it strictly resists the “Six Reforms and Four” bill that depletes medical capacity. Pictured is the emergency room. (File photo)

What is more dangerous than politicians showing off their official power is the policy promoted by the Kuomintang in the Legislative Yuan to hollow out the medical base. When the Lanying Democratic Party could not bear to wait for 30 minutes in the emergency room and took the hospital bed for granted, the Kuomintang actually tried to push the "Chinese-made naturalization six to four" bill in the Legislative Yuan and it has entered the first reading. If the bill is passed, it will be equivalent to significantly relaxing the threshold for dependent family members to come to Taiwan to use health insurance, allowing countless elderly people who have not made any substantial contribution to Taiwan's health insurance to flow directly into our medical system.

Taiwan's health insurance is a lifeline for all citizens who have long-term premiums and mutual support through hard work. It is by no means a cheap buffet for the privileged class, nor is it used as a bargaining chip for political favors. To protect Taiwan's medical care, the public must not stop at condemning Lan Ying Mindai as the "emergency room giant baby." They must also strictly resist the "six reforms and four" bills on the institutional side that deplete medical capacity. Until the outflow of medical care is resolved, any politician or political party that seeks to increase the burden on the grassroots is unworthy of talking to the Taiwanese people about medical human rights.

(The author is an NGO worker)