"There was a huge quantity of first-hand information we needed to provide to the government to help form policy. For example, going into late May, when the city's epidemic situation was under control and everyone was awaiting the 'zero' mark, there were still a few new diagnoses that disturbed our state of mind. Whenever these new cases came about, our work increased in scope. One day, four or five migrant workers would be diagnosed, and having received the figure, I'd immediately report it to the Mayor and the Secretary. The Mayor and the Secretary would worry, but the public would know nothing of it. They would immediately think about how to deal with a rush of tens of thousands of migrant workers into Beijing. If they didn't get a hold of the situation quickly, it could reignite a large-scale epidemic. They wanted an effective policy decision. I had to prepare all kinds of data on the migrant worker cases: where they came from, what construction sites they worked on, the disease control situation at those construction sites, the situation at every construction site that employed migrant workers across the city, what measures should be put in place in the event of an outbreak at a construction site, and so on…"
"In short, one simple figure could bring about dozens of problems, and these problems had to be dealt with as quickly and effectively as possible. As a result, the workload multiplied, both in quantity and in difficulty. In these types of circumstances, you can imagine it'd be impossible to slack off. What's more, the Mayor and the Secretary are now experts on prevention, and it'd be downright impossible for anyone to skimp on the job. They'd come with a hundred questions, and you'd have to be fully prepared to answer every single one. This is why every single link in the chain of command was busy every single moment of the day."
Liang Wannian was just one soldier in the battle against SARS. How was he to know just how much weighed upon the shoulders of the Mayor and the Secretary?
Beijing's Acting Mayor Wang Qishan, known as the "Anti-SARS Mayor" , was transferred from Hainan Province to become Mayor. Within a month, those who knew him and those who didn't all agreed that Beijing had itself a fine Mayor. His personal charm lay in his "ordinariness" : an ordinary face, an ordinary manner of speech, and a passion for the safety and security of the people.
One particular incident stands as an example: one day, Wang, on a tour of inspections, passed by the door of a recently re-opened school, and saw several people in protective clothing standing guard at the door. He immediately got out of his car to inquire. The people standing guard told him they were teachers, and were performing body temperature checks on students entering the school.
"How can you think this is acceptable?" asked Wang. "The children are young. When they see you like this, they'll be terrified! Protection is necessary, yes, but we must tailor measures according to the situation!"
The school decided that Mayor Wang was right, and rectified the situation.
"I get feverish quite often." He told me, "as soon as it breaks out, my tonsils get inflamed. When I came to Beijing to take office, it was when SARS was on the rise! How could I not get a fever? But I couldn't develop a fever! If I ran a fever, I'd be whisked off to quarantine, so how could I lead my comrades in the anti-SARS campaign, on the orders of the Party Central Committee? I found a way: I ate nothing but vegetables, so I wouldn't develop a fever."
"Now I'm getting more confident. But my confidence doesn't depend on figures. It depends on whether the people of Beijing are involved in the fight against SARS. Now when you go around Beijing, everyone is doing their part to fight SARS—on every street, in every building, at every school, and within every family. You can't fail to feel moved by it. The power of a People's War! It's so great, seeing residents doing their utmost to fight the epidemic, all with understanding and confidence in their government. It was thanks to them that we managed to overcome the strain on our medical resources. They bought us time. My confidence lies in the Party's central leadership. The Party's anti-SARS guidelines haven't changed. It shows the firm and brilliant decision-making at the heart of the Party. So, in a way, our victory against SARS was already established from the outset." The Mayor's voice echoed in my ears.
As Mao Zedong once said: total victory in war depends on the extent to which you can mobilize the people. Mayor Wang is declaring this, loud and clear. I think Wang and his colleagues are already extremely satisfied with the extent to which the people had been mobilized in the battle against SARS. He revealed to us that one day, as he accompanied Premier Wen Jiabao to the outskirts to inspect the anti-SARS precautions farmers were taking.
"Do you know who I am?" Premier Wen asked one robust-looking old lady. She shook her head, no. Then he asked, "do you know what SARS is?"
"Oh yes, I know what SARS is," she answered immediately. "It's a disaster, it's a plague. If you develop a fever, it might be SARS, and you have to get to the hospital straight away. If you've got SARS, you have to stay away from other people."
"Look!" said Wen Jiabao excitedly to Wang Qishan afterwards. "Look how much of an impact the anti-SARS campaign has had on people! That old lady didn't know that I'm the Premier, but she knew all about SARS and how to prevent it. That's no mean feat! If the people are on board like this, I have full confidence in our victory against SARS."
I saw Mayor Wang that day at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Before the Beijing Regional Hospital Directors' Joint Conference dinner, Wang's speech rallied those present to applause and laughter. Knowing that those at the conference were on the frontline against SARS, and seeing their confidence in the Mayor, it was without doubt that this difficult battle would end in victory.
