Taipei, May 19 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said the people of Taiwan should be prepared for a long battle against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) when he was inspecting a facility that has been converted into a specialized hospital for the treatment of SARS patients Monday.
President Chen listened to a briefing by Lu Li-chun, superintendent of the Armed Forces Sungshan Hospital, and then toured the 102 negative pressure isolation rooms for SARS patients at the converted hospital.
The president asked that the public, including frontline medical personnel, to be tenacious when dealing with the atypical pneumonia. "We must not harbor a vain hope that Taiwan will not feel the impact of SARS, but we absolutely must reduce the impact of the disease to a minimum," he said.
During a pep talk to medical staff at the hospital, the president also lauded their efficiency in converting the military hospital into a facility specializing in the treatment of SARS patients so rapidly. It has only taken two weeks to make the necessary preparations and alterations, the president said, adding that this is the first regular hospital that has been restructured for the exclusive treatment of SARS patients in Taiwan.
With the number of SARS patients increasing and reports indicating that equipment for medical care staff is insufficient, the president said that he has asked the Executive Yuan to begin measures to address these issues.
Key government agencies must know clearly the number, distribution and use of surgical masks and protective suits that are needed by frontline medical care workers, the president said, adding that hospitals must track the distribution of the equipment such that medical workers are not without the necessary protective gear to effectively treat patients.
He also asked all hospitals to control internal SARS transmissions and carefully plan the use of medical care personnel who must follow standard procedures in treating SARS patients.
The president also said that medical establishments should segment their health care mechanisms to establish a systematic and orderly methodology of treatment, which should in turn lessen the workload of large medical centers and integrate valuable medical resources.
Addressing the issue of SARS on the outlying island Penghu, the president expressed his condolences to the relatives of Lin Chung-wei who died Sunday. President Chen conveyed his sympathies to Lin's family and listened to their concerns.
Penghu Magistrate Lai Feng-wei was also encouraged to see that a Penghu couple who appeared to be infected with SARS were able to travel to Taiwan proper for treatment without delay. The couple were transported by a Coast Guard Administration vessel Sunday.