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