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Man hangs self, another dies inside isolated hospital [SARS]
The China Post TAIPEI, Taiwan ^
| 2003/4/27
Posted on 04/26/2003 6:39:23 PM PDT by Lessismore
A man killed himself and an elderly man passed away from lung failure yesterday at a stringently isolated Taipei hospital that is home to over 1,000 quarantined due to a SARS outbreak.
Disease control experts worried that Taipei Municipal Ho Ping Hospital, which was sealed off Thursday, could become a hotbed of the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome virus as movement restrictions have been imposed on the quarantined so far.
The man, 48, committed suicide yesterday afternoon as he thought his wife had been infected by SARS, officials said.
The man and his wife were inside the hospital taking care of his father. But yesterday his wife went downstairs for an examination as she was feeling unwell, and rumors that she might have the disease spread. The man then hanged himself to death before a nurse came back to tell him his wife was alright, said Lee.
Meanwhile, a 78-year-old man died while under SARS quarantine, but health officials said his death wasn't SARS-related. The patient suffered from heart problems as a result of deteriorating lungs, officials said.
Lee called on the media and the public to stop mongering rumors about SARS, which has killed more than 290 people worldwide and infected more than 4,600.
The island had 50 probable SARS cases as of yesterday¡Xrising six from Thursday¡Xand 19 of which are in the hospital, said Lee. Suspected cases rose by seven to 72.
Reported cases totaled 286, including 68 that have yet to be determined, and 91 that have been ruled out as unrelated to SARS.
Taiwan has reported no deaths from the disease.
Yesterday was the third day of the quarantine at Ho Ping Hospital. More than 900 nurses and doctors and more than 200 patients were inside, though medical personnel were ferried to and from a temporary quarantine center in another part of Taipei to rest.
Deputy Taipei Mayor Ou Chin-der yesterday urged 58 workers of the hospital who are currently on vacation or overseas to report to the hospital as soon as possible. They will be put under quarantine after return, government officials said.
In the first two days, more than 70 fearful hospital workers and others sought unsuccessfully to escape from the hospital, saying they don't want to be confined under the same roof with SARS patients. Then there was a protest by families of the quarantined outside the hospital. A local television channel even aired an interview with a home-quarantined person.
All this has led United States health officials now in Taiwan to worry that the island "is out of order."
Lee said he was frustrated with the lack of cooperation from the public, adding this was why Taiwan's disease prevention system has been "in a mess" over the past two days.
"How can our medical personnel challenge the government's order with 'human rights' at a time like this?" Lee said.
The quarantine is expected to last 14 days, but that could change.
"We hope 14 days will be enough to control the illness, but medical experts do not exclude extending that period," Ou said during a visit to the hospital site yesterday morning.
Taiwan is considering tougher restrictions on visitors of any nationality arriving in Taiwan from Hong Kong and mainland China, according to officials.
TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: sars; taipei; taiwan
To: Lessismore
I noticed this:
Meanwhile, a 78-year-old man died while under SARS quarantine, but health officials said his death wasn't SARS-related. The patient suffered from heart problems as a result of deteriorating lungs, officials said.
To: Lessismore; zook; Sidebar Moderator
I believe this is the Hospital Freeper Zook's sister-in-law is a nurse at. He last posted 23 hours ago, and I pray he and his familiy are all safe and free. See his artilce post
"Just euthanize us," workers say about the situation. He is there in Taipei!
Maybe the sidebar moderator could keep this article at the top of breaking news for Zook's safety's sake?
3
posted on
04/26/2003 6:51:27 PM PDT
by
bvw
Comment #4 Removed by Moderator
To: Lessismore
The man, 48, committed suicide yesterday afternoon as he thought his wife had been infected by SARS, officials said. The man and his wife were inside the hospital taking care of his father. But yesterday his wife went downstairs for an examination as she was feeling unwell, and rumors that she might have the disease spread. The man then hanged himself to death before a nurse came back to tell him his wife was alright, said Lee.
I guess having to take care of two sick relatives was just too much to handle. I'm sure hearing about his suicide will cheer them along to speedy recovery.
5
posted on
04/26/2003 10:01:53 PM PDT
by
Jorge
To: bvw
Hi and thanks. We flew back south to Pingtung today and we're getting our affairs in order to try to get back home as soon as possible. This won't be easy, but we'll try.
Did anyone note a couple of very important lines in the article posted above?:
"Deputy Taipei Mayor Ou Chin-der yesterday urged 58 workers of the hospital who are currently on vacation or overseas to report to the hospital as soon as possible. They will be put under quarantine after return, government officials said"
So, why do you "quarantine" people who have been overseas or on vacation? The answer is that you don't--at least not in this way-- unless your real purpose is to impose involunary servitude.
6
posted on
04/26/2003 11:49:36 PM PDT
by
zook
To: Lessismore
"But yesterday his wife went downstairs for an examination as she was feeling unwell, and rumors that she might have the disease spread. The man then hanged himself to death before a nurse came back to tell him his wife was alright, said Lee." Hmmm. I think I read this book in high school. Doesn't she then kill herself?
To: Lessismore
In other news, over 300 elderly Americans died today from complications of the flu, which annually kills over twenty thousand elderly Americans. What is strange is none them had SARS.
8
posted on
04/27/2003 12:47:17 AM PDT
by
Russell Scott
(Globalism is just another of the myriad of false religions that lead to tyranny.)
To: zook
involunary servitude. That is the way I would read it.
To: zook
First Rule of a panic situation is "DON'T PANIC!". Yet PANIC seems the rule there -- I hope your sister-in-law is okay.
10
posted on
04/27/2003 5:59:12 AM PDT
by
bvw
To: Lessismore
It's really amazing the way the press and politicians here began piling on the nurses (just realized that reads kind of funny, but oh well). Finally, one old smarmy guy, could have been vice premier or someone like that, said something like, "oh, we are all so grateful for the *small* sacrifice of the nurses."
"Small sacrifice?" Giving up your liberty and risking your life for a month?
11
posted on
04/27/2003 6:03:08 AM PDT
by
zook
To: bvw
Thanks. She keeps calling us and she sounds fine so far. But she's on tap to begin treating SARS patients soon. Actually, she would have volunteered, but she hates the idea of being lured into this absurd scheme.
Now I'm hoping that we'll be alright. What if, for example, some student in my daughter's school got a fever one day. Might they quarantine the school? We are in southern Taiwan where people aren't so worried about this right now. But I guess the disease is creeping this way.
I have a lot to post on my web site, but I can't access the server right now. Maybe I'll post it here. Thanks again for your concern.
12
posted on
04/27/2003 6:06:40 AM PDT
by
zook
To: Lessismore
But yesterday his wife went downstairs for an examination as she was feeling unwell, and rumors that she might have the disease spread. The man then hanged himself to death before a nurse came back to tell him his wife was alright, said Lee. Oops.
13
posted on
04/27/2003 6:07:52 AM PDT
by
DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
("There was abuse in my family; it was mostly musical in nature.")
To: DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
I have seen all the threads here on FR and heard clips on the news about SARS, but I just blew it off as Chinese third world health care bungling.(You know, the kind of health care the democrats want for us)Maybe I should start paying more attention, it would seem that this virus is getting out of hand.
14
posted on
04/27/2003 6:15:23 AM PDT
by
cardinal4
(The Senate Armed Services Comm; the Chinese pipeline into US secrets)
To: Russell Scott
In other news, over 300 elderly Americans died today from complications of the flu, which annually kills over twenty thousand elderly Americans. What is strange is none them had SARS. That's kind of how I feel ---not that we should ignore SARS but there's no reason to panic until we know more about it. I'm kind of tired of all the scares ---swine flu, hantavirus, west nile and all the rest ---the fear of the epidemic is worse than the epidemic actually is.
15
posted on
04/27/2003 6:33:09 AM PDT
by
FITZ
To: Lessismore; Lazamataz
The man and his wife were inside the hospital taking care of his father. But yesterday his wife went downstairs for an examination as she was feeling unwell, and rumors that she might have the disease spread. The man then hanged himself to death before a nurse came back to tell him his wife was alright, said Lee.
Sounds like a skit for a Monty Python show.
I don't think even Laz can compete with the monumental silliness of recent events.
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