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SARS epidemic: Top prosecutor sent on mission to hospital

A woman yesterday waves a note to communicate with the outside world on the third day of her SARS quarantine at Taipei Municipal Hoping Hospital. PHOTO: LIAO CHENG-HUEI, TAIPEI TIMES

The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office yesterday sent a top official to Taipei Municipal Hoping Hospital to oversee strict quarantine measures placed on the building by the city government.

City Hall announced orders on Thursday to isolate all staff and patients at the hospital for 14 days to prevent the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS.

However, its emergency quarantine plan was criticized by quarantined people and their families for treating those caught inside the hospital like prisoners.

"Chief Prosecutor Chen Ta-wei (陳大偉) is at the hospital," said Chen Hung-ta (陳宏達), spokesman for Taipei District Prosecutors' Office. "If there are any violators, Chen will arrest them and prosecute them under Article 192 of the Criminal Code immediately."

Chen made his remarks after hearing news from the hospital of nurses threatening police officers and reporters stationed outside.

The nurses claimed they had witnessed a doctor leaving the building on Friday night and said, "If he can go home, why can't we? You cannot jail us here. We will try to escape if you keep treating us like prisoners."

Another nurse quarantined at the hospital opened a window and told reporters, "I do not care whether I am fined or sentenced. To me, it is more important to stay healthy. I want to save myself so I will run away whenever I have a chance."

Chen said that punishing violators is the last thing law-enforcement officers will do if the situation gets out of hand. He urged the public to cooperate and follow quarantine orders whenever and wherever they are issued.

"If anybody, including patients, doctors and nurses, dares to violate quarantine rules, police officers, who have been authorized to enforce the order, will arrest them as criminals immediately," Chen said. "I hope this will never happen."

Chen also said that police were authorized to force visitors at certain locations, such as hospitals and airports, to undergo body-temperature checks. People unwilling to take the test will be arrested on a charge of interfering with public functions.
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