Introduction

Heath care workers are routinely exposed in a variety of diseases during their daily work. Although most health care workers would consider this as a part of their job, the general public is unaware of the risks taken by health care workers and the sacrifices they routinely make. The arrival of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) changed that. Attention was focused on the health care workers since prior to SARS there was no precedent for an infectious disease that struck down hundreds of health care workers in a short period of time in a hospital setting. Hospitals were suddenly considered to be dangerous places to be in. As very little was known about this disease there was significant fear and anxiety among the hospital staff, and emotional disturbances in health care workers was inevitable.

During the SARS crisis, radiographers were indispensable in imaging patients for the diagnosis, management and follow-up of SARS patients. Similar to other medical staff, frontline radiographers needed to overcome their emotional stress and apprehension in order to deliver high-quality radiographic service to the SARS patients efficiently and safely. Radiographic practice had to be modified to minimize the risk of cross infection within the hospital and the radiology department. At short notice, radiographers at all levels of seniority had to familiarize themselves with infection control measures and the correct use of personal protective equipment within the radiology department, the hospital and other departments they served.