Nurses flee SARS

Beijing

Hundreds of Beijing hospital workers have left their jobs for fear they could catch severe acute respiratory syndrome from infected patients. Nearly 2,000 people in the capital have been diagnosed with the disease; another 16,000 are under quarantine. Not even exorbitant pay increases can persuade nurses to stay. At the Xiong Ke hospital, officials raised the average salary from $50 a month to $500, but still faced a shortage of 100 employees. To boost morale among nurses, the government is rushing production on a film to star Gong Li, China’s most famous actress, as a beautiful head nurse who bravely leads her staff into the SARS wards.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up