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)