Reported by TsoMing Wang & Shengwen Lee for CNEWS, Taipei
Last year, Media Tek senior engineer Wang Ching-chieh, the brother of the consultant of Taipei City Government, Wang Chih-ya, went swimming in the pool of the Le Méridien Hotel in Taipei City in July. After swimming, Wang felt indisposed and called for the staff’s help several times after he went ashore, indicating his need for medical attention. However, the hotel staff never notified an ambulance, all they did was ask him if he wanted them to help call a taxi. It was not until 40 minutes passed, Wang had passed away, that the staff of Le Méridien Hotel called the ambulance, but it was already too late. What makes the Wang family more resentful is that after Wang’s sudden death, not only did the hotel representative never apologize, but also bluntly announced: “Sue if you want!” the passive and arrogant attitude is intolerable.
Wang went swimming at Le Méridien Hotel at 18:49 in the evening on July 29th last year. After swimming for a few laps, he began to have chest tightness and breathing difficulty (Dyspnea). After
going ashore alone, he asked for help at the counter at 19:36. Wang was considered low blood sugar (Hypoglycemia) by the staff due to the fact that he had swum without having dinner. Therefore,
they only provided him with sports drinks and chocolates. However, Wang’s symptoms did not decrease after eating. The hotel staff told him that it might be because of the “poor air” in the swimming
pool area on the third floor that caused the illness.
Unexpectedly, Wang was left alone at the sofa area after being taken downstairs by the staff. At 20:03, he called for help once again at the counter, but they still had no intention of calling an ambulance. He was only being taken to the locker room to dry his hair and change clothes, prepared him for going to the hospital by taxi rather than ambulance. Unforeseenly, when Wang was about to get up from the sofa at 20:18, he collapsed and felt unconscious within two steps. Although the staff realized that it was an emergency, they called their superiors for instructions rather than calling for an ambulance in the meantime. After a delay of 2 minutes, they then notified the ambulance at 20:20 and finally started giving medical first aid.
What’s more outrageous, when the hotel staff was performing CPR, which was supposed to be an uninterrupted process, was stopped for two and a half minutes. Even worse, the hotel staff didn’t even know how to use the AED. In addition, the hotel staff lied that Wang was uncomfortable for only 5 minutes and then passed out right after. As a result, there was only an ordinary ambulance with a stretcher rather than the one with an emergency ambulance technician (EMT) which can perform emergency nursing immediately. When the second ambulance with advanced nursing service arrived, Wang had long missed the golden rescue time, and eventually died due to heart attack (myocardial infarction).
Wang’s sister, Wang Chih-ya and her parents criticized the hotel in an exclusive interview with “CNEWS Confluence News”. It was severely condemned that ” the process of rescuing her brother was full of mistakes.” Whether it was the lifeguard and high chair that could not be seen by the swimming pool, or the staff who did not immediately report an ambulance, or asked Wang, who was already feeling ill, to walk down the stairs by himself, or even the uninterruptible CPR that had been paused. Taking into account all those unforgettable mistakes, she assailed, “If this does not count as staff’s negligence, then what is negligence?”. Wang Chih-ya pointed out that when she appeared in court for the first time, the lawyer even taunted her parents and said, “There was nothing wrong with the procedure of saving people in the hotel!” and “The hotel has no obligation to save people!” Such words confused the Wang family, wondering whether the manager of the hotel has consciousness or not, wondering why they are avoiding their responsibility.
Wang Chih-ya added that her younger brother was not buried immediately after his sudden death. However, in those two weeks, the hotel never sent anyone to comfort or apologize to the family members. Not to mention offering condolences. Wang Chih-ya said that the parents only wanted Le Méridien Hotel to apologize and hoped that the death of their son would remind them to put more emphasis on the public safety of the hotel, but the general manager arrogantly announced, “Welcome to sue! We did nothing wrong!” , which made the Wang family felt quite pity and wondered if this was actually the attitude of an International Hotel.
Photo credit: CNEWS Press Kits
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