Hoping Season 1

In 2003, a new infectious disease (SARS) spread across Asia. Shi-Kai Lo and Yumei Chen are doctors from Taipei Bo-Ai Hospital. Under the leadership of the latest director, Bo-Ai Hospital turns into a profit oriented business model, which goes against the doctors’ initial intent to save people. But after Shi-Kai Lo fails to be promoted as the vice director of the hospital, he quits in a feat of rage. He then remembers the director’s proposal to transfer him to being an official at the Department of Health of Taipei.

In order to join WHO, the Taiwanese Central Government started to advocate for the “ThreeZero” disease prevention record. Compared to Taipei City, Shu-Hua Xu, the Director of the Department of Health, and the mayor, Jiu-Sheng Ye, are trying to encourage “Early Preventive Measures”. They tell the media, on their own, that they demand to categorize SARS as a Tier Four Infectious Disease. But the Surgeon General is against such a reckless execution. However, under the pressure from the media, President Mu-Kuan Chen gives in. While the Taipei City Government is basking in victory, the pandemic approaches silently….

Taipei Municipal Bo-Ai Hospital has the first medical case that resembles SARS. Under the leadership of the Department of Health, it transfers the patient to the Medical Center, assuming that the patient is fully recovered. However, when he is being transferred, he casually throws away his infected attire. The hospital janitor picks the clothes up and unconsciously spreads the virus across the entire hospital.

Due to China’s boycott, Taiwan is unable to gain any information about the SARS virus. They can only rely on the interpretation of the experts within the Health Department. But the SARS virus is cunning, the infected individuals display different symptoms from the patients. Yumei Chen discovers that the patients and the medical staff on the same floor start to get fever one by one. After reexaminations, they are all reported as “suspected cases of SARS”. The hospital discovers that cluster infections have been happening within, which prompted Taipei City Government to close down the hospital and summon all the patients and medical staff back.

Due to the sudden lockdown, a thousand people are trapped within a hospital with only three hundred beds. Not only was there a lack of medical resources, there’s also shortage of housing, food and human resources, causing the management system to collapse, followed by a series of chaos. The Ward 8B, where Yumei Chen serves, is considered the hardest hit area, where no one dares to come to their aid. The Taipei City government is slowly losing control, not knowing how to deal with the situation. The Ward 8B patients are diagnosed with serious illnesses and pass away. An initial patient, Taiwanese businessman Guoqing Zhu, committed suicide by hanging himself out of the guilt of killing his wife because he hid previous travel records.

Out of the shock of witnessing Guoqing Zhu’s suicide, a registered nurse loses her mind. Ward 8B, the hardest hit area, still cannot get help, leaving only Yumei Chen and some other medical staff to struggle. The chaos at Bo-Ai causes a huge commotion due to the media. The Director of the Health Department is overwhelmed so he requests help from the previous director, Bai-Chuan Ye . The Central Government receives pressure from all sides. President Mu-Kuan Chen orders the execution of the “36 Hours Rescue Plan”, aiming to transfer all the patients out of Bo-Ai Hospital. Just as Shi-Kai Lo volunteers to join the rescue to Bo-Ai, alongside with Bai-Chuan Ye, Yumei Chen falls ill.

As Bo-Ai Hospital recovers from the crisis, Yumei Chen unfortunately passes away due to SARS. Shi-Kai Lo is drowning in self guilt. Just when the Taipei City Government is about to commemorate Yumei Chen and other staff who have lost their lives as heroes of the pandemic, Shi-Kai Lo is blamed and dismissed. Out of rage,he accuses the government in the hope of seeking justice. But the government shows no signs of remorse. On the day of the Bo-Ai Hospital reopening ceremony, Shi-Kai Lo threatens to end his life with a surgeon’s knife publicly to expose the whole truth of why the hospital shut down to the media . In the end, Shi-Kai Lo is surrounded by new reporters. He can see nothing in the future but blazing flashing spotlights…