HOPING

During the SARS epidemic, Taiwan effectively controlled the situation. However, officials were cautious to maintain the successful anti-epidemic efforts to gain international visibility. It led to concealed suspected cases in Pok Oi Hospital, where the Director of Health successfully altered case determinations to host the International SARS Symposium.

Unbeknownst to medical staff and patients at Pok Oi Hospital, a nosocomial infection ultimately broke out, leading to the hospital’s closure due to an order from the Taipei City Government. After the closure, the hospital’s management system crumbled, leaving medical staff baffled. Many frontline medical workers cared for suspected patients without proper protective equipment, resulting in multiple infections.