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| Beijing's SARS－dedicated hospital releases last patients |
| CCTV.COM 2003-06-20 13:06:33 |
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Fifty days ago, Beijing began to relocate its SARS patients to a newly established SARS－dedicated hospital, the Xiaotangshan hospital in the city's northeast suburbs. Today （Friday）, the hospital discharged its last batch of patients.
They were the last group of SARS patients in the Xiaotangshan Hospital, eight men and 10 women. After a brief ceremony, they were declared free of the disease and released from the treatment center. But hospital officials have not forgotten to give them post－treatment advice.
"You must pay attention to good ventilation and nutrition," said Dong Qiang of Xiaotangshan Hospital.
For the Xiaotangshan Hospital, it's now safe to call it a mission accomplished.
In 50 days since May, the SARS compound has treated altogether 680 patients aging from 13 to 79 years old. Grouped together from more than 60 hospitals from across Beijing, the patients accounted for one－tenth of the world's total SARS patients and one－seventh of the country's total.
Grouping the SARS patients in a suburban compound was considered critical in containing the spread of the virus in the city and lowering the death rate. Now with only eight deaths, the hospital claims the world's lowest fatality rate of 1.2 percent.
The hospital also takes pride in its stringent system of protective measures. None of its nearly 1,400 medical staff was infected. They will leave the compound later this month.
The closure of the SARS－dedicated treatment center in Beijing is a result of lower infection rates in the capital. Beijing has now just over 100 patients still hospitalized for the disease. WHO officials say this is something they will take into consideration in deciding when to lift the travel advisory on the city.
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Editor: Han Ling CCTV.com
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