A true story about fight against SARS
( 2003-05-14 15:00 ) (9)

Jiang Suchun, a 74-year-old expert of infectious disease at the 302 Hospital of the PLA in Beijing, contracted Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) when he fought the deadly epidemic, but that did not stop him from continuing with his crusade. Jiang conducted bold SARS treatment experiments on himself, injecting the blood serum of recovered SARS patients into his own body. After 23 days of self-treatment, Jiang miraculously recovered, and a new way of treating SARS patients was found. His unremitting efforts won high praise from Hu Jintao, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

　　At around 8:00 pm on March 7, Beijing's first SARS patient was sent to the 302 Hospital. Jiang Suchun received a phone call from a hospital official, asking him to go back to hospital. Be fully aware of the danger of the epidemic, Jiang did not hesitate and rushed to the hospital.

　　Considering Jiang's physical condition, hospital leaders arranged for him to direct the rescue operation outside the emergency room. But Jiang would not comply, saying, "as a serviceperson, how can I not go to the frontline in a war?" He then applied two layers of gauze padding under his mask and entered the emergency room. The rescue operation lasted for 80 minutes, but the patient failed to respond and died.

　　Determined to find the source of the disease as soon as possible, Jiang proposed a discussion on SARS and prepared for the autopsy immediately. It was not until midnight that Jiang retired for the day. When the second group of patients arrived at the hospital two days later, Jiang went back to the emergency room again.

　　On the evening of March 14, Jiang suddenly felt a chill. He knew that he had been infected by the disease.

　　Calmly, Jiang went to the hospital for a check-up, and the result was positive for SARS. The following day his body temperature rose to 39 C.

　　Seeing that Jiang has devoted the larger part of his life to the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, and has saved numerous patients suffering from deadly epidemics, the hospital staff felt very worried and was willing to do anything to save him.

　　At this crucial moment, Jiang announced calmly: "As a doctor, I cannot serve the patients for the time being, but as a patient, I would like to do experiments on myself to find out cure for SARS."

　　In spite of high fever, Jiang did not stop his work and proposed to inject the serum of recovered SARS patients into the body of SARS sufferers in order to spur the production of an antibody.

　　Since there was no precedent for such an idea (injecting blood is extremely dangerous), Jiang volunteered to be the first. After much deliberation, the hospital authority accepted Jiang's proposal and sent several doctors to collect the serum of recovered SARS patients in Guangzhou.

　　On March 22, the serum was injected into Jiang's body, and he was also treated with other medicines. Jiang was miraculously recovered.

　　During the period of convalescence, Jiang requested to be discharged from the hospital several times, arguing that, as the SARS situation in Beijing was worsening, he was determined to return to the front immediately. But hospital authorities did not agree. Bed-ridden, Jiang then organized the doctors and nurses to write a thesis on the treatment of SARS.

　　Based on his personal experience, Jiang helped the physicians to write an article entitled "One example of curing senior SARS patients." After that Jiang himself wrote "The enlightenment of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome to infectious disease doctors." In addition, Jiang wrote several articles for the publicity of knowledge on prevention of SARS for several newspapers. During his 23 days in hospital, Jiang wrote nine articles on the prevention and possible cure for SARS.

　　In early April, a recovered Jiang left the hospital, telling reporters: "The fact that I, a SARS patient, have recovered quickly proves that SARS is not fearsome. It is preventable and curable."

　　Jiang's high spirits greatly inspired medical workers who vowed to learn from Jiang and make greater contributions to the fight against SARS.

　　(April 25, PLA Daily)