New BOH director is ready for a difficult task

Eloquent, suave and a strong sense of medical ethics: these are the qualities that might strike one during a first meeting with Chang Heng (張珩), the new director of the Taipei City Bureau of Health (BOH). When Chang met with some reporters for an informal chat two days ago, he delivered his thoughts in a precise and straightforward manner, intertwined with some wry comments and sly humor.

"Well, I don't mind having as many `sisters' as possible," Chang replied laughingly when asked about a newspaper wrongly identifying National Taiwan University Associate Professor Chang Chueh (張玨) as his sister. Chang Chueh is an expert in public health who has been working closely with the city government in the anti-SARS battle.

Chang his cutting humor again when responding to how long he would like to stay on in the post if the decision was his. He said, "I hope I last longer than the white rabbit [the nickname for the former Minister of Economic Affairs Christine Tsung (宗才怡), who only lasted 38 days on the job]."

Surrounded with an air of a scholar than that of a politician, Chang looked somewhat confused and asked the reporters a silly question at one point: "Do I count as an administrative government official now?" The query roused roars of laughter in the room.

Under cover of an easygoing attitude, however, also live a sharp mind and caring spirit.

When further questioned about whether he had a plan to restructure the municipal hospitals, in response to his mentioning the subject in his first press conference as BOH director, Chang suggested that the municipal hospitals need to follow the example of medical centers, balancing teaching, service and research, instead of concentrating too much on service.

"The revenue is indeed very important for municipal hospitals to survive. If they do not care about revenue, and treat as few patients as possible, their medical standards would deteriorate."

"However, when they stress too much about the service, they will forget their social responsibilities."

"It would be nice if a municipal hospital can be socially responsible and highly profitable. But if I have to choose between ethical practice and high revenue, I would definitely go for the former," Chang said.

With the announcement of the Taipei City Government initiating recovery work for SARS damages, Chang also highlighted the importance of humane care and recuperation of the patients.

"It is very important now that we start to run the care system immediately. We have to help those who have gone through quarantine to return to normal lives."

"Also, in the hospitals, the medical staff are concerned with their own safety and they would reduce the frequency of getting in close contact with possible SARS patients."

"It is important that we give mental support to those in the isolation rooms too, so that they will not suffer trauma." Chang said.

Chang pointed out that in the battle against SARS, ignorance of the disease instead of the disease itself caused the greatest fear.

"If we had known that asking the public to take their temperature every day could have screened out most possible SARS patients, then there would not have been so much panic at the beginning, he said."

"When the medical staff showed fear and resistance to SARS when the epidemic first broke out, it was understandable because nobody knew what it was. But now we know more about the disease and are more prepared, and medical staff should not attempt to escape from caring for the patients anymore," said Chang.

Chang described by Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) as a workaholic. Ma said when Chang decided to take the post, the first question he asked was, "is there a bed in the director's office?"

Dr Huang Fang-yen (黃芳彥), deputy superintendent of Shin Kong Wu Ho Wu Memorial Hospital (新光吳火獅紀念醫院) and a close colleague of Chang's, said that Chang was a courageous person with a strong sense of mission, willing to take up the heavy burden in a time of emergency when many other people would be hesitant to do so..