For example, if a kidney patient comes in with a fever, it could be diagnosed as the standard urinary tract infection, for which the patient will be sent to the nephrology department. When the hospital finds out this is a SARS "fish that has slipped through the net," then a whole group of doctors and nurses has to be quarantined, so that the shortage of personnel is made even worse.
張錦文強調，沒有一條鞭式專責醫院的另一個壞處，是醫院每天仍有眾多的例行門診及急診患者上門，例如腎臟病患發燒時，可能會以為是尿路感染的老毛病發作而掛腎臟科門診，等到醫院驚覺這竟然是一名 SARS「漏網之魚」時，又得將大批醫護人員隔離觀察，讓人手調度更形吃緊。