The Beijing Xiaotangshan Hospital, which discharged the last group of recovered Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) patients Friday, has reported a mortality rate of less than 1.2 percent.

According to Zhou Xianzhi, vice-president of the hospital, a total of 680 patients, including 67 who were seriously ill, received medical treatment there. Of the total, 672, or 98.8 percent, have recovered. Six of the eight who succumbed to the disease were suffering from other illnesses in addition to SARS.

The Xiaotangshan Hospital, located in the northern outskirts of Beijing, was built during the peak of the epidemic exclusively for the treatment of SARS.

Zhou, who has been working for more than three months on the front line of the battle against SARS, attributed the high recovery rate to a comprehensive therapy consisting of effective medical treatment, psychotherapy and a combination of Chinese and western medicines.

(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2003)