Southern Weekly, a newspaper based in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, reported in detail on how, in early January, the Wuhan Central Hospital hid the Coronavirus from the public and forced its medical staff not to talk about it.
Ai Fen, Director of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Wuhan Central Hospital, saw the reports giving the diagnosis of some patients as “SARS Coronavirus.” She took picture of a report and sent it to a few doctors including Dr. Li Wenliang who then posted it on a WeChat group and was thus called the whistle blower for the coronavirus.
At midnight on the New Year of 2020, Ai Fen received a message from the Monitor Section of the hospital, asking her to attend a meeting the next day. At the meeting, she was criticized for spreading rumors, creating social fear, and impacting Wuhan’s development and stability.
Another doctor said that it was not just Wi Fen and Dr. Li Wenliang who were called to the meeting. Many other people were also called to meeting and told not to release information.
An employee recalled, “We were told not to talk about it and not to mention there were no protection materials. Many doctors and nurses were infected during that period. I was very desperate. There was no help and we were not allowed to report.”
Two people showed a WeChat screenshot, that on December 30, 2019, each department’s WeChat group received a forwarded message from the Wuhan Health Commission, “Do not release information about the unknown cause pneumonia. … Otherwise, the Municipal Health Commission would take serious measures to investigate and deal with it.”
A doctor said that in the early days, the hospital required of them: “Do not talk about it. Do not wear a face mask so as to avoid public fear.”
The hospital leaders told each section’s chief to call every staff member, one by one, to inform them they should never leak the information about the virus.
Many staff members confirmed that they had received the same order. All had been passed down orally.
Qian Xuejiang, Director of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, wore a face mask to a meeting. The hospital leader criticized him. After that, he stopped wearing a face mask. Sadly, he was infected with the virus a few days later. It was confirmed and he eventually died.
A picture of Qian’s meeting notes said, “Unknown cause viral pneumonia, no evidence of person-to-person transmission. Ten disciplinary regulations: Confidential discipline, never talk about it. …”
Related postings on Chinascope:
- Hiding Information: Wuhan Newspaper Said Doctor Reported Infection Cases in December and Authorities Took Actions Immediately
- Hiding Information: Expert Group Members Suggest Hubei Officials Hiding Information
- Hiding Information: Residents Shouted “Fake” When Sun Chunlan Visited a Residential Neighborhood
- Hiding Information: Xi’an Confirmed a Local Infection but Its Province Reported Zero
- Hiding Information: The Communist Regime Intensified Blocking of Internet Messages
Excerpt in Chinese:
根据该院急诊科艾主任此前对《中国新闻周刊》的回忆，2020年1月1日晚将近0点，她接到医院监察科信息，要求第二天谈话。在谈话过程中，被批评“作为专业人士没有原则，造谣生事，你们这种不负责任的行为导致了社会恐慌，影响了武汉市发展、稳定的局面”。艾主任提及这个病可以人传人，但没有获得任何回应。
上述急诊科医生对南方周末记者证实，“主任第一时间向上预警，‘SARS回来了’。但被院领导训斥，很多人在场。训斥她用了三句排比句，大意是说擅自发布未经证实的新闻，造成严重社会舆情，如何负责，把我主任当时吓得着实不轻。”
但该院一位在医学影像科室工作的医生对南方周末记者说，被叫去谈话的，远不止李文亮和艾主任。“我们医院很多人被院方叫去谈话，说不能发什么。”
他和另一位医生，后来因为发表关于梅仲明、李文亮的哀悼图片，专门被院方找去，让他们删除。在南方周末记者联系的十余位采访对象中，过半受访者表示受到过院方的干预，包括训诫、谈话、被要求删除发布内容、被电话提醒不能发布有关消息等。
该院后湖院区一位工作人员记得，那时候“不让声张，物资就更不敢谈了。我院的很多医护也是那个时候感染的，心痛。那个时候我很绝望，特别绝望，没有外援，也不让报”。
有两位采访对象向南方周末记者出示了微信群截图，2019年12月30日，各科室微信群里收到转发自武汉市卫健委的信息：“请大家……不要随意对外发布关于不明原因肺炎的通知及相关信息……否则市卫健委将严肃查处。”
该院医生陈小宁对南方周末记者说，早期院里统一要求，“不能说，不能戴口罩，怕引起恐慌。”
多位中心医院工作人员向南方周末记者证实，确有收到“不能说”，“不能戴口罩”这些要求，均为口头层层传达。
杨珥说，在12月底已经频繁上报之后，院领导并未示警，没有通过任何途径让人们紧张起来。甚至有科室负责人戴着口罩去开会，还遭到了批评，“大惊小怪，扰乱军心”。
同时，院领导通知每个科主任，逐个电话告知每个同事，一律不得外泄病毒的任何消息，“那个电话我接到过”。
杨珥听到多位同事提及，1月上旬，甲状腺乳腺外科主任江学庆戴口罩去开会，被院领导批评。此后，该院多位医生都看到他没戴口罩。不幸的是，几天后，江主任被感染、确诊，之后做气管插管、机械通气、体外膜肺氧合，一步步衰竭，直至死亡。
网上流出了一张江学庆笔记本的截图，一条条记载着一段会议记录：“不明原因病毒性肺炎，没有人传人的证据，十条纪律规定，保密纪律，不准到处乱讲乱谈……”
陈小宁说，笔记所录就是1月3日的会议，医院组织中层开会，口头传达精神，再口头传达给每个职工。
Source: Southern Weekly, March 11, 2020
http://www.infzm.com/content/178912