Hsinchu mayor in eye of SARS storm

Prosecutors have begun investigating an incident on Monday in which Hsinchu Mayor Lin Junq-tzer (林政則) blocked three patients suffering from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) from being trans-ferred to the Hsinchu General Hospital, the district's prosecutors' office said yesterday.

"Prosecutors will review video tapes shot at the scene by the police and decide whether Lin should be indicted for his behavior," a press release said.

If indicted for interfering with public functions, Lin could face a maximum of seven years in jail.

At 4:10pm on Monday, Lin led a team of Hsinchu City councilors and borough wardens to the Hsinchu Hospital, which is under the authority of the Department of Health (DOH), where they prevented three ambulances carrying SARS patients from entering. Lin also enlisted the help of the Hsinchu City Police Department.

From Sunday, the Taipei City Government has been transferring 105 SARS patients from Taipei Municipal Hoping Hospital to other hospitals to "reduce the concerns of those quarantined inside the hospital," according to DOH Deputy Director Lee Lung-teng (李龍騰).

As of press time yesterday, 48 had been transferred to three other hospitals controlled by the DOH.

Lin complained outside Hsinchu Hospital that he was not officially informed that SARS patients were going to be transferred there. He said he wanted to keep Hsinchu a SARS-free area.

"No matter what, the Hsinchu Hospital is definitely not an ideal place to hospitalize SARS patients," he said.

"Look around here, the hospital is surrounded by schools and a residential area with a large population. Who will take the responsibility if SARS spreads in this community?" he said.

The stand-off ended at 11pm on Monday with the three patients entering the hospital after Lin accepted Lee's promise that officials would do whatever it took to prevent the spread of SARS in the area.

During a regular Cabinet meeting yesterday morning, Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said Lin's behavior was unacceptable.

"A public servant has no right to refuse help to people," he said.

But the Cabinet would not comment further while prosecutors were investigating, he said.

The mayor defended himself after the meeting, saying "it was merely a misunderstanding."

But three groups based in the city -- the Hsinchu Public Nuisance Prevention Association, the Hsinchu Culture Association and the Hsinchu Foundation -- along with TSU City Councillor Lee Yan-hui (李妍慧) released a statement yesterday afternoon denying that the mayor spoke on behalf of all the city's residents.