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Following is a question by Dr Hon Tang Siu-tong and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, in the Legislative Council today (July 9):
Question:
Regarding the health care workers who have been infected with the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ("SARS") and speciality training in infectious diseases provided in the public health and medical care system, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) as the Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the World Health Organization jointly conducted an investigation in April this year on the conditions of 26 health care workers who had contracted SARS in order to identify the causes of their infection, whether the authorities plan to invite these organizations to conduct a similar investigation on other health care workers who have also contracted SARS, or to conduct an investigation on its own, so as to find out the causes of their infection; and
(b) of the number of infected health care workers who have been confirmed or are suspected to have contracted SARS in the intensive care units ("ICUs") so far; and how many of them have undergone training on working in ICUs?
Answer:
(a) In epidemiological studies of SARS, frontline healthcare workers are particularly vulnerable to contracting the disease. Since the beginning of the SARS outbreak, the Hospital Authority (HA) has conducted studies on infections among healthcare workers in collaboration with the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Experiences learnt from special studies conducted in conjunction with the university academics, reviews of infections by hospital infection control teams together with overseas studies on this subject have contributed to a better understanding of the mode of spread of SARS in hospitals, and facilitated the improvement of clinical control measures to prevent further spread of the disease.
(b) As at July 2, 2003, HA has recorded a total of 32 staff members who are believed to have acquired SARS while working in the intensive care units (ICUs). All of them have undergone training on working in ICUs.
End/Wednesday, July 9, 2003
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