Photo: VCG

The head of a medical emergency center has been dismissed and expelled from the Communist Party of China after ignoring numerous emergency calls and a grave shortage of ambulances in a key period for anti-epidemic efforts.

Li Qiang, former director of Xi'an Medical Emergency Center in the city of Xi'an, home to nearly 13 million people in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, severely violated the law and Party discipline and has been transferred to the procuratorial organs for investigation and prosecution, said Shaanxi disciplinary inspection and supervision authorities on Tuesday.

During the critical period of epidemic prevention, despite clearly knowing that a large number of emergency calls had not been put through and that there was a serious shortage of ambulances, Li remained indifferent and played online games during work hours, said the supervision authority.

Besides neglecting his duties, Li accepted gifts and money worth more than 60,000 yuan (roughly $8,660) from patients from 2014 to 2021.

The supervision authority also revealed five other local officials who had illegally accepted gifts and money, or had trips at public expense.

Global Times