One of every three SARS cases contracted in hospitals is a health-care worker, DPP Legislator Chou Ching-yu (
Chou, legislators and medical-association representatives convened a news conference to call attention to the lack of quality and availability of protective gear for medical staff.
The nation has seen 52 people die from SARS, including two doctors and four nurses.
Chou said health-care workers have a higher ratio of SARS infection than do members of the public, citing the example of Taipei Municipal Hoping Hospital. Hoping Hospital, the first hospital sealed off due to an outbreak of SARS within the facility, has reported 117 probable cases. Of these 41, or 33 percent, are health-care workers and their friends or relatives.
In Jenchi Hospital, which was shut down shortly after Hoping, 11 medical-care workers account for 21 probable SARS cases in the facility.
Chou said that the ratio of medical staff contracting SARS is too high, adding they are risking their lives at their posts and that the government should pay attention to their work environment.
She suggested the government instruct those who are entering or leaving hospitals to wear surgical masks, adding that it would reduce the risk of infection.
Chin Tseng Cheng-li (靳曾珍麗), a nurses' representative, said taking care of SARS patients requires a lot of stamina and that nurses have to wear three layers of protective gear during their eight-hour shifts.
Chin said this amounts to a form of torture and suggested shifts be cut to four hours.
Taiwan Medical Association Secretary-General Lin Mao-Chuan (
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a southwestern extension of the Sanying MRT Line from New Taipei to Bade District (八德) in Taoyuan, with a goal of starting construction by late 2026. The 4.03-kilometer extension, featuring three new stations, will run from the current terminus at Yingtao Fude Station (LB12) in New Taipei City to Dannan Station (LB14), where it will connect with Taoyuan’s Green Line, New Taipei City Metro Corp said in a statement. This extension will follow the completion of core Sanying Line, a 14.29-kilometer medium-capacity system linking Tucheng (土城), Sansia (三峽)
CARGO LOSS: About 50 containers at the stern of the ‘Ever Lunar’ cargo ship went overboard, prompting the temporary closure of the port and disrupting operations Evergreen Marine Corp, Taiwan’s largest container shipper, yesterday said that all crew members aboard the Ever Lunar (長月) were safe after dozens of containers fell overboard off the coast of Peru the previous day. The incident occurred at 9:40am on Friday as the Ever Lunar was anchored and waiting to enter the Port of Callao when it suddenly experienced severe rolling, Evergreen said in a statement. The rolling, which caused the containers to fall, might have been caused by factors including a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Russia, poor winter sea conditions in South America or a sudden influx of waves,
The Ministry of Culture yesterday officially launched the “We TAIWAN” cultural program on Osaka’s Nakanoshima sandbank, with the program’s mascot receiving overwhelming popularity. The cultural program, which runs from Aug. 2 to 20, was designed to partner with and capitalize on the 2025 World Expo that is being held in Osaka, Japan, from April 13 to Oct. 13, the ministry said. On the first day of the cultural program, its mascot, a green creature named “a-We,” proved to be extremely popular, as its merch was immediately in high demand. Long lines formed yesterday for the opening
BE CAREFUL: The virus rarely causes severe illness or death, but newborns, older people and those with medical conditions are at risk of more severe illness As more than 7,000 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported in China’s Guangdong Province this year, including 2,892 new cases last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is monitoring the situation and considering raising the travel notice level, which might be announced today. The CDC issued a level 1 travel notice, or “watch,” for Guangdong Province on July 22, citing an outbreak in Foshan, a manufacturing hub in the south of the province, that was reported early last month. Between July 27 and Saturday, the province reported 2,892 new cases of chikungunya, reaching a total of 7,716
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