During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tzu Chi Foundation procured and donated 5 million doses of BNT vaccines. Recently, it was revealed that Tzu Chi became a victim of a scam involving NT$1 billion. Former Minister of Health and Welfare and Presidential Office official Chen Shih-chung stated that despite his earnest efforts to facilitate the procurement, he was unfairly portrayed by the ruling party and politicians as someone who sought profit at the expense of lives, bearing false accusations.

Kuomintang legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin posted on Facebook, criticizing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for attempting to rewrite history and confuse public memory years later. However, she emphasized that one core fact remains unchanged: the government failed to purchase BNT vaccines, while private entities succeeded—and the vaccines actually arrived and were administered to the public.

Hsu pointed out that during the pandemic, the DPP government deliberately obstructed and delayed private procurement of BNT vaccines. The latest indictment reveals that an individual falsely claimed to have procurement authority and defrauded Tzu Chi of a high 'consulting fee.' Tzu Chi is the victim, and the suspect is the defendant. Yet, the DPP is now using the victim's financial loss to attack those who fought for vaccine access and even labeling critics of government inaction as accomplices—this is a complete distortion of facts.

Hsu stressed that Tzu Chi indeed secured BNT vaccines. Tzu Chi, along with TSMC and Hon Hai's Yonglin Foundation, each procured 5 million doses, totaling 15 million doses, all of which were delivered in batches to Taiwan and donated to the government.

She further noted that the BNT vaccines procured by private entities actually arrived in Taiwan earlier than any government-purchased doses. The government had negotiated to purchase 5 million doses in early 2021 but ultimately failed to sign a contract, and no government-ordered doses arrived. In contrast, Tzu Chi, TSMC, and Hon Hai completed their procurement, with the first batch of 930,000 doses arriving on September 2, 2021—marking the first actual delivery of BNT vaccines to Taiwan.

Hsu reiterated: 'The government failed to buy BNT vaccines, but private groups succeeded—and the vaccines actually arrived and were administered.' She criticized the DPP for trying to erase public memory and distort facts years later, but this cannot change the core truth: the government failed, the private sector succeeded, and the vaccines were delivered and used.

Hsu emphasized that while Tzu Chi should rightfully seek to recover the defrauded funds and justice must be served, this case should not be used to whitewash the DPP's vaccine policy failures or erase the fact that private organizations successfully secured 15 million doses of BNT vaccines, filling a critical gap in Taiwan's vaccine supply.

She questioned what the DPP should truly answer: Why did the government fail to finalize its BNT purchase? Why did private entities have to raise funds and act during the most critical phase of the pandemic? These are verifiable facts. The DPP is now selectively combining unrelated incidents for political gain. The public's memory of waiting desperately for vaccines is real. The government must reflect deeply on its responsibility for the people's suffering, rather than treating citizens as having goldfish memories and attempting to whitewash its incompetence.

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  • Source: PR Times
  • Category: News