I didn't manage to attend the morning SARS meeting today as a patient suddenly collapsed in the ward at 8am sharp, and we only finished with the resuscitation after 8:30. In any case, the latest facts are probably available in the news, but with a few added details from my end.

1. The old lady I saw on the 29th of March during my call, and who was later cleared of SARS by the WHO, has been reclassified as having the condition. Good thing the 10-day incubation period is over, as all those who saw and cared for her in the ward remain well. Neither did she pass the bug to the other patients in her cubicle. After the initial anxiety and fear, many of us are now heaving a collective sigh of relief. :)

2. The female doctor from Singapore General Hospital who saw the index case there and later passed it to other staff members is now in intensive care. I worked with her about a year ago during a surgical posting, and am most saddened by the news because she's a really nice person. Her dad's a well-known professor of surgery, but she always downplays that aspect of her life, and is one of the most hardworking and dedicated doctors I know. I can still remember one night early last year, when we were both on call, and I assisted her in a laparotomy for intestinal obstruction in the middle of the night. There we were, 2 tiny women, yanking out loop after loop of dilated bowel, retracting and dissecting till our arms almost fell off. Took us 3-4 hours, but I recall the look of satisfaction on her face after the operation -- it was her first solo laparotomy! She is a very promising and skilful surgeon, and I sincerely hope she'll recover and continue with her excellent work.

3. This month's SMA News, which will again focus on SARS, will be available online probably this Friday. There will be tributes to the fantastic medical staff all over Singapore, with a contribution from myself as well. Don't depend on the media for praise. They're only capable of saying good things about themselves.

4. To any Straits Times reporters who read this -- just want to let you know that certain members of your staff ( particularly those who write big columns in the paper ) are universally loathed by the medical community here -- meaning ALL the hospitals. Your commentaries in the papers are insensitive, inaccurate, and shamefully biased. A friend of mine, who works in the surgical department of another local government hospital, was so upset that she emailed me a draft of a letter she wanted to send to the Forum Page, excerpts of which I have posted below.

"With regards to my collegue's behaviour; if someone should not work on mere aching muscles, they would be reagarded as lazy. The fever came when she was on call and there was no one to cover her call. Also she was seen and discharged as well on Wednesday after a CXR and blood test. At that time, who would have suspected SARS when our hospital was described as being a SARS-free campus?"

She also writes about the isolation guidelines for patients recently discharged from TTSH who later got admitted at her hospital, but I've decided not to post this in case the hospitals involved get uptight and try to find out who she is.

In summary, the public can kick up a fuss all they want, but the media isn't helping things by stoking the fire. At a time when all of us are so fearful for our lives, when hospital healthcare workers are working themselves into the ground and exposing themselves to a life-threatening illness, WE DON'T NEED A BUNCH OF REPORTERS CRITICIZING OUR BEHAVIOUR OR THE HOSPITAL'S POLICIES. IF THEY THINK THEY CAN RUN THE NATIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM BETTER THAN WE CAN, MAYBE WE SHOULD EXCHANGE JOBS. I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SIT BEHIND A DESK FOR A WHILE. ANY JOURNALISTS WILLING TO TAKE UP THE CHALLENGE CAN EMAIL ME. SEE IF ANY OF THEM HAVE THE BALLS TO WALK INTO THE SARS ICU DAY AFTER DAY, OR GO THROUGH THE TERROR AND UNCERTAINTY THE REST OF US EXPERIENCE, KNOWING THAT IN REALITY, NOBODY IS SAFE, BUT MEDICAL PERSONNEL ARE REALLY STICKING THEIR NECKS OUT.

I'm on call again today, and hope it'll be a quiet one again.