Remember what the doctor says when a child gets sick? Take the medicine on time and get enough rest.
Apparently such common sense has been all but forgotten on the sidewalks around Taipei Municipal Hoping Hospital, where patients and medical personnel have been quarantined after an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
There are SARS patients, other patients, their relatives, and medical personnel in the hospital. Under quarantine, they need peace and quiet in order to recuperate. But over the last few days we have seen a noisy circus outside the hospital, disturbing the patients at a time when they most need quiet.
The circus contained a variety of people. Some came under the banner of religion while others called themselves artists or performers. Of course, politicians were also an indispensable part of the show. They spoke through microphones and loud speakers, sang and danced, played their instruments, recited prayers, knelt on the ground and performed magic. There has been a great variety of activities.
Can such noisy "care" help patients recover? Can it help boost the morale of medical workers under a two-week quarantine? It's doubtful.
What's more, members of the media -- especially television news "reporters" -- need to show more discretion in their coverage of the outbreak. They should never report unconfirmed rumors that will stoke fears among those quarantined. Above all, common sense would dictate that reporters should never enter quarantined areas to interview those inside.
However, common sense is in short supply and has been replaced by superstition and hysteria.
How could Hsinchu City Mayor Lin Junq-tzer (
Think about it. If their own relatives or friends have the misfortune to get SARS, should we then use all medical facilities unconditionally to save their lives? Or should we just hold the attitude that "each should shovel the snow on his own doorstep" and leave them to die?
The behavior of several dozen employees from Hoping Hospital who sneaked out and refused to return for quarantine is contemptible. It provides a stark contrast to the brave acts of Yeh Chin-chuan (
If not for these volunteers, Taiwanese people would have to concede in shame that social and medical ethics in the country have been thoroughly undermined by SARS. Fortunately, these brave people remind us that moral courage and compassion still exist in Taiwanese society.
During an emergency SARS meeting yesterday, Premier Yu Shyi-kun said that Taiwanese must act in such a way now that will not make them a laughingstock in the eyes of the international community after the SARS crisis is over.
Yu was absolutely right, but his warning came too late. Scenes of those selfish acts by Taiwanese had long been beamed to the world by the media.
SARS is not only a major test for Taiwan's medical system, but also an opportunity for soul-searching. This difficult time has revealed the many ugly aspects of people's mentalities, but it has also brought respectable heroes to the foreground. Those with even the slightest bit of conscience should stop obstructing the government's efforts to contain SARS.
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