New Director-General of the Department of Health (DOH) Chen Chien-jen (
He added that the most immediate goal is to prevent in-hospital infection from occurring again.
PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
"Right now we are not fighting SARS, but human weakness," he said.
"It is because of human weakness that people try to hide their own illness when they contract SARS. It also prevents medical staff from standing up and doing their jobs," he said.
Chen said that he would attempt to do his best at his new post.
Chen was speaking at a ceremony to officially mark the handover from former director Twu Shiing-jer (
Chen also said the department was still dealing with other matters, and that civil servants should not neglect these issues.
Speaking about the upcoming World Health Assembly (WHA), which Chen is due to attend, the new director said that Taiwan's wish to become an observer of the World Health Organization was because of health, and not political, concerns.
Chen will be leaving soon for the WHA in Geneva, which starts tomorrow.
Outgoing director Twu expressed his continuing support for those fighting SARS.
"Although I am no longer director, I am ready to come back as a volunteer to join the battle again," he said.
"As a government official I have to take responsibility for the SARS outbreak, but as a doctor I can still fight for the country," he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Director-General of the DOH Lee Lung-teng (
"I was feeling frustrated with my work, and I could not complete my mission. I felt that I could not face the director-general," Lee said.
"However the director-general thought my resignation was unnecessary and declined it," he said.
Lee added that his future in the health department now rests with Chen.
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