To use the term "disaster" to describe the SARS pneumonia outbreak is not inappropriate. Solely in terms of the total number of SARS-related deaths, the outbreak is a health crisis that has rarely been seen in Hong Kong in recent years, not to mention the economic crisis it has brought. We can recall the days when the disease was still mysterious, the route of transmission still controversial, and the treatment was still on a trial and error basis. We all felt the anxieties and stress the disease had brought. "Is my surgical mask good enough, or shall I have to wear a N95? Do Ribavirin or steroid work? How about pregnant ladies?" We just had no definite answers to the questions at the very beginning.

As a healthcare worker, the risk of getting infected while looking after the patients is high. Throughout the epidemic, it was common to learn from the News something like, "Today, the number of newly confirmed SARS cases is six, two of whom are healthcare workers". The threat of being infected by SARS was obvious. There were other worries. We did not want our family members to get infected because of our job. Some healthcare workers were deployed to SARS wards or medical wards, whether or not they originally worked in the medical field.

Family Medicine trainees were also involved; we were in fact, the very first group of medical officers deployed to other wards. The first Family Medicine trainees deployed to the medical wards were mainly those who had completed their medical rotation. Some might ask, "Is it fair play? Why me?" Some were trying to guess the reason behind the deployment. But to put it plain and simple, was this not highly related to the fact that we had received a diversified training from our previous rotation including a six-month hospital-based medical training? Was it a lot easier for us than for other specialty colleagues to cope with the medical ward duties, especially when the whole situation was so urgent? Of course, the whole interpretation could be viewed differently. How you view the outside world depends very much on how you view yourself. A man who is sure of himself is not angry at every slight deed, real or imagined, done to him. Taking time to view yourself more honestly and positively can enable you to develop a more solid sense of yourself and of your worth.

What we cannot deny though, is that we still have many worries: "How will the deployment for an additional one month in a medical ward affect my hospital-based training? Am I going to isolate myself from my family and friends if I am to be deployed to the SARS ward?" Despite these worries, I can see many of my Family Medicine colleagues, being professional, are putting aside their personal concerns and are doing their best to cope with the challenges facing them, instead of complaining or just compromising. Having been rotated through different departments, we are well equiped to adapt to the new changes.

In fact, we should all be proud of the contributions we have made, and are making, to the community. And is it not a valuable experience for all of us? "Sorrow is better than laughter; it may sadden your face, but it sharpens your understanding." Ecclesiastes 7:4.

SARS, like any disaster, rallies individuals to work towards a common goal. Personal anxieties and conflicts tend to be left aside when people are working together against a common enemy. SARS has brought out the best in us.

 

HK Pract 2003;25:335

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