Several Medical Personnel in Beijing Reveal That the Authorities Deceived World Health Organization Inspectors (photos)

On April 17, 2003, many oxygen bottles are placed outside isolation wards at Ditan Hospital in Beijing (AFP)

Time, a prominent magazine based in the United States, revealed that the Chinese government hid SARS cases in Beijing from the World Health Organization (WHO). The report said that several hospitals in Beijing removed SARS patients before the WHO inspectors arrived.

On Friday, Time quoted several doctors and nurses at Beijing hospitals who revealed that on Thursday, hours prior to the WHO inspectors' arrival at the No. 309 People's Liberation Army Hospital, the hospital moved 46 of the confirmed SARS patients to a hotel, and there are about ten SARS patients in the ward.

When the WHO inspectors made a last-minute decision to inspect the Sino-Japanese Friendship Hospital, the hospital hurriedly transferred 31 SARS patients to several ambulances and drove around in Beijing while the WHO inspectors were in the hospital. According to a doctor at the hospital, they have 56 confirmed SARS patients, but the authorities have only reported 41 cases to the WHO. The doctor also revealed that the 31 patients who were put in the ambulances were doctors, nurses and hospital workers.

In addition, on Tuesday Time received a letter from an insider, saying that prior to the arrival of the WHO inspectors, Beijing's No. 302 PLA Hospital had removed most of the SARS patients from its two infectious disease wards and there are only a handful of SARS patients remaining, all of whom are already well on their way to recovering.

Time quoted a retired senior doctor who used to treat high-ranking officials in the Party. She said that she had seen an internal Ministry of Health report that puts the number of confirmed SARS cases in Beijing at between 200 and 300. Another internal document showed that in the last ten days there have been 100 new cases reported in Beijing.

A doctor from the Sino-Japanese Friendship Hospital expressed to Time reporters that because he was afraid of losing his job, he could not reveal too many details. But the doctor criticised the government's irresponsible behaviour in handling the SARS outbreak.

A doctor from Beijing's No. 301 PLA Hospital revealed to the Western media including Time that the number of SARS patients at several military hospitals in Beijing is much higher than the authorities' official figures.