Dr Jiang Yanyong who exposed Sars cover-up under house arrest in China

The Chinese military surgeon Dr Jiang Yanyong (88), who exposed the government’s cover-up of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) epidemic in the year 2003 has been placed under house arrest since last year, according to his family and friends.

Yanyong, is a retired general in the People’s Liberation Army, has come to the spotlight after a whistleblower doctor, Li Wenliang, who exposed the coronavirus epidemic, died last Friday at the age of 34.

According to his close friend, Jiang has no contact with the outside world even his movements had been restricted since April last year, it happened after he wrote to the top leadership asking for a reassessment of the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement.

Jiang’s wife, Hua Zhongwei also confirmed that he is confined to his home. She said, “He is not allowed to be in contact with people outside. He is at home. He has no means of communication [with outside]. His health is not good. He is not in a good mental state either. He is not very well.”

UK on the other hand has declared coronavirus a serious and imminent threat to public health

Further Zhongwei said that the-88-year-old that he suffered from pneumonia and was treated in hospital last year. Further she said, “I am sorry, it is not convenient to say more.”

His friend even said that Jiang was under treatment last year in April and he was treated in 301 military hospital in Beijing, it is the same hospital where he served for more than 60 years. He was there for more than a month in April last year, but he was guarded under heavy security and even banned from being visited by his family at the time. Due to which the doctor became agitated and he was given medication that led to severe memory loss.