Heroes of SARS: professional roles and ethics of health care workers.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the professional moral duty of health care workers (HCWs) in the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003.


METHODS
Descriptive discussion of media reports, analysis of ethical principles and political decisions discussed in the outbreak, with particular emphasis on the events in mainland China and Taiwan.


RESULTS
There were differences in the way that Taiwan and mainland China responded to the SARS epidemic, however, both employed techniques of hospital quarantine. After early policy mistakes in both countries HCWs were called heroes. The label 'hero' may not be appropriate for the average HCW when faced with the SARS epidemic, although a number of self-less acts can be found. The label was also politically convenient.


CONCLUSIONS
A middle ground for reasonable expectations from HCW when treating diseases that have serious risk of infection should be expected. While all should act according to the ethic of beneficence not all persons should be expected to be martyrs for society.
Hsin
Dena Hsin-Chen
DH
China Medical University, 91 Hsueh-Shin Road, Taichung 40421, Taiwan, ROC.
Macer
Darryl R J
DR
D002681:China; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D010819:Physician's Role / Q000523:psychology*; D011057:Politics; D012307:Risk Factors; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome; D013624:Taiwan