The protection of severe acuterespiratory syndrome (SARS) patients'
privacy indicates the government's pose for respect to individuals'
privacy, said a World Health Organization (WHO) expert Thursday in
east China's Anhui province.
A
five-member WHO team, led by prestigious epidemiologist Arne
Brantsaether from Norway, was currently inspecting the anti-SARS
work in Anhui, together with an MOH working team.
Anhui province, with a population of 60 million and a large number
of migrant workers, reported 10 clinically diagnosed SARS cases and
eight suspect cases as of May 21, according to the Chinese Ministry
of Health (MOH).
The populous province has made great efforts to protect patients'
privacy, said Gao Kaiyan, director of the provincial health
department.
Anhui province published the common information regarding the
patients but the private details, such as names, addresses and
names of family members, were only available at a very limited
level for anti-SARS work, Gao disclosed.
"We regard the protection of patients' privacy as an obligation,"
Gao said during a meeting with the working group in Hefei, the
provincial capital of Anhui.
Meanwhile, Gao noted, the provincial government has voiced the hope
that the recovered patients could resume their normal lives at an
early date and that individuals would not suffer much lossesdue to
the disease.
"Those measures balanced the public's right to know and the
patients' right to privacy," Gao said, adding that the measures
were working well according to the ongoing practice.
The WHO does not have any detailed regulations on the publication
of patients' names, but most nations in the world, including
Norway, would not publish that, Brantsaether acknowledged.
However, the WHO team leader added, any close contacts would
beinformed of the identification of the patients.
Zhu Wengen, vice-president of the Anhui Provincial Academy of
Social Sciences, described the measures as "constructive" and
epitomizing the government's concern and respect of the common
people.
"Those measures indicate that the Chinese government attaches equal
importance to the people's rights and lives," Zhu said, noting that
it was a step of "historical importance".
Most Chinese netizens participating an on-line discussions on
patient privacy agreed with the government's non-disclosure of
thepatients' names. Chen Aihe, one of the netizens, said the
public'sright to know should not be infinite.
The protection also give expressions to the principle of
administration according to law, said the noted law researcher Xiao
Fangyang with the provincial academy of social science.
As
an independent right of individuals, Xiao said, the right toprivacy
should not be encroached upon whether in public or private.
Chinese Criminal Law and Law of Criminal Procedures includes items
on the protection of privacy, Xiao said, adding that the lawon
health-care workers also specified that doctors should respect the
privacy of patients.
(China Daily May 23, 2003)
