wfn.org | TCN: Christian hospitals in Taiwan gear up for H1N1 virus

["Lydia Ma" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>      Taiwan Church News

>2987 Edition

>May 25~31, 2009

Christian hospitals in Taiwan gear up for H1N1 virus

>Reported by staff reporters

>Written by Lydia Ma

H1N1 virus has come to Taiwan and there are already 6 reported  cases in the

country as of May 25th. One of the cases involved a student at  Kuang-Fu

Elementary School in Taipei, which led to suspension of classes  for the entire

student body so that school officials could disinfect the school.  These measures

were taken out of concern that the disease would spread into the  community and

>become an epidemic.

Health officials across Taiwan have been on guard against H1N1 for  some time

now. In Tainan, Tainan City Public Health Bureau partnered with  PCT-affiliated

Sin-Lau Hospital in a medical drill in case of a widespread  epidemic.

Tainan City Public Health Bureau Deputy Director Lin Bi-fen,  officials from the

Center of Disease Control, and other officials specializing in  infectious diseases

were present during the drill. The exercise was very true to life  and medical

professionals delved into measures to take when confronted with  different

>scenarios during a pandemic.

According to Sin-Lau Hospital Superintendent Huang Tsuu-Yuan, the  hospital

regularly engages in drills in case of an pandemic and the latest  drill happened to

coincide with the outbreak of H1N1. The new virus prompted  hospital leaders to

change their drill into a practice on how to handle H1N1.

“Sin-Lau is ready!” said Huang with confidence, and  added that the hospital had

already stockpiled medical masks, medical supplies, and medicine  needed to

confront H1N1. The drill solidified standard operational  procedures just in case.

Sin-Lau Hospital chose May 19 as the day for the drill and  practiced based on a

scenario that city officials had contacted the hospital to get  ready to become the

designated hospital treating H1N1 patients. Hospital staff went  over how to

coordinate personnel, transfer patients to other hospitals,  transfer routes to take,

what type of medications to use, how to handle and dispose medical  waste, etc.

At the end of this exercise, hospital officials said they were  confident Sin-Lau

Hospital was ready to confront H1N1, provide the best medical care  available,

and become the government’s most trusted partner in fighting  epidemic

>diseases.

According to Huang, the two most important factors in fighting  H1N1 are ensuring

the disease does not spread into the community and preventing the  disease from

>infecting hospital staff.

He also advised the public to take overhyped reports from the  media with a grain

of salt and remain calm. The fatality rate from H1N1 is very low  and this epidemic

is very different from the SARS epidemic, said Huang. Since H1N1  is already a

known virus, treatment is available. However, people should still  stay away from

infected areas and continue with their regular activities.

PCT-affiliated Changhua Christian Hospital in Changhua city  recently admitted a

patient exhibiting symptoms similar to what would be expected of a  H1N1

patient. Though the case turned out to be a false alarm, it also  turned out to be a

>good practice for the hospital.

To reassure local residents, Changhua Christian Hospital officials  revealed that if

a H1N1 patient were admitted and diagnosed in the future, the  hospital would

arrange for the patient to be sent to a negative-pressure  isolation room

immediately and begin a disease-control exercise.

Officials at Changhua Christian Hospital see H1N1 as highly  contagious but

rarely fatal. Therefore, they have advised residents to remain  calm and go on with

their daily routines. Unless people exhibit serious cold symptoms,  there is no

need to stop church meetings, added hospital officials.

For the time being, hospital officials are also advising churches  against shaking

hands when greeting each other during a time set aside during  church services

for believers to mingle. Christians who have colds should also  remember to wear

>masks and wash their hands often.

Since recent cases of H1N1 coincide with a surge in the human  enterovirus that

infected many people in Taiwan last year, health officials are  cautioning citizens

to be careful and take measures to prevent being infected with  this intestinal virus

>as well.

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