Tue, Jun 03, 2003 page2

• First SARS-infected doctor makes complete recovery

  SHARING HIS EXPERIENCE After fighting the illness and going through isolation, the intensive-care physician is ready to return to the work of healing his patients

  • By Melody Chen / STAFF REPORTER
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  In a celebratory atmosphere, Taiwan's first doctor infected by SARS yesterday appeared amid his colleagues' loud handclapping and bouquets at National Taiwan University Hospital, with renewed determination to return to the front line fighting the disease.

  In a press conference at the hospital, Tsai Tzu-hsiu (蔡子修), accompanied by Lee Yuan-the (李源德), the hospital's superintendent, and other doctors, shared his experience of wrangling with the disease with reporters.

  Tsai, a doctor at the hospital's intensive care unit, helped tend to a China-based Taiwanese businessman's wife while a medical team was performing intubation on her on March 17.

  The businessman, the nation's first SARS case, infected his wife and both were admitted to the hospital in early March. A few days later, the wife suffered breathing failure and needed intubation.

  Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳), chief of the hospital's infectious disease department, said as Tsai hurriedly entered the patient's isolation ward to help with her intubation, he did not put on his respirator properly.

  Tsai felt tiredness and began to develop a fever on March 21. Suspecting he contracted SARS, Tsai isolated himself. His high fever continued for several days. On March 25, Chang put him into an isolation ward.

  "Fortunately, Tsai's pneumonia has been controlled well," said Chang.

  Tsai, who fully recovered and has been back to work for about a month, said: "when health workers face patients suffering diseases, their first thought is to tend to and protect their patients."

  "Dealing with diseases is in itself a challenge, which surely contains risks. Although I was infected with SARS, I will hold on to my principles and continue moving forward," he said.

  In the battle against SARS, Tsai said he played two roles.

  "I was a doctor, but then became a patient. I had difficulties in the process. I felt lost," he said.

  "But I had full confidence in the medical team, because I was one of them. I knew we never gave up on patients, so I knew they would never give up on me, either," he said.

  "When we together went through the journey [fighting the disease]," Tsai said, "I believed I would recover. I was only worried about my family's response and their feelings."

  To prevent his family from worrying, Tsai did not inform them of his illness at first. While he was in the isolation ward, Chang reported Tsai's condition to his father by telephone almost daily.

  Tsai said he was fortunate because his colleagues had the correct understanding of SARS.

  "They did not discriminate against anyone who contracted the disease. One of SARS patients' biggest worries is how to face society and how people would look at them," Tsai said.

  Thanking his colleague's understanding, Tsai said he hoped this understanding can spread to more people.

  Tsai also described the physical pains he suffered during his illness.

  "The first week was difficult. My fever was between 39℃ and 40℃ for a couple of days. I felt hollow and groggy. I lost my appetite and vomited whenever I ate," he said.

  Although Tsai's illness has been cured, he said his gratitude towards his colleagues and those who took care of him would never subside.

  Tsai also expressed condolence for health workers who died of SARS. "I hope this will never happen again."
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