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Following is the transcript of the press conference by the Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, on the SARS Expert Committee's report at the Conference Hall, Central Government Offices this (October 2) afternoon:
Reporter: Dr Yeoh said he acknowledged the criticism made on him in the report and he will take responsibility for them. So how will he do, and has he offered to resign?
Chief Executive: I think it is important to look at this whole issue objectively. When SARS first began, we didn't know what it was, neither did the whole world. That's why when we first started we were reactive, then we became proactive and eventually we were directing what needed to be done. Being a very crowded place, we are more susceptible to this sort of attack. The two groups under the Committee have said that they have criticised us in areas where we have failed, in the public health area and in the area of hospital care. On the other hand, on the whole, what the Committee has said is that we have done reasonably well in fighting SARS. This is not just the Committee, but in fact it's been recognised all around the world, including WHO. The Committee also concluded that everybody did their best, and they really responded very well and that no one should be held responsible. But as the Secretary, E K has said that he is taking the responsibility for the system areas of inadequacy and that he is learning from it, that he is a much better person than all of us first started, and that the important thing is to look forward. SARS may come again - I hope it'll never come again but it may come again, and it is important we do the work well in the prevention of SARS. I think he will make very important contributions in the coming weeks.
Reporter: Mr Tung, on the one hand, you say that there was no negligence on Dr Yeoh's part, on the other hand, you say he has learnt and he is trying to improve. Isn't it a bit ironic that the person who is now implementing these improvements is the very person that is being criticised and being blamed for the crisis back earlier this year?
Chief Executive: I suggest that you might want to really very carefully read through the report. The report is actually a very good report where criticisms are due (they are given), where praises are due (they are given). It is also very objective in a sense that this situation may have arisen because it's something that is totally unexpected, something that is beyond what we all have planned and thought it would have been possible. I don't want to make excuses. The important thing is how to make it possible to make sure that it doesn't happen again in the future. That is the most important thing.
Reporter: But do you think Dr Yeoh is the best person to do that when he is now accepting criticisms from the past?
Chief Executive: Because he particularly has been living through these, learning from the experience, not only on the macro sense, but also in the micro sense, of every little detail as to what happened before and how it could have been prevented. He has been living through these over the last few months. I think he is well-equipped to take us forward.
Reporter: The original plan had been that the Panel would give the report to your Government as well as to the media at the same time at 11.30 this morning. Do you receive any kind of an early copy of the report? You seem to be already quite familiar with the lengthy report contents?
Chief Executive: No. As up to now, I have not read the report but I have read the summary provided to me by my colleagues.
Reporter: No early comment?
Chief Executive: No early comment I am afraid. It's already been released actually. If you are trying to imply something, let me say this. These 11 members are very well known internationally. From a professional point of view, they are well known. In the medical field, they are well known internationally and they are very well respected people. That's Number 1. Number 2, there is no reason for them to be particularly helpful to me, to the Hong Kong Government or to Dr E K Yeoh. Thirdly, I am told this report is going to be put on the net, so that the whole world will be able to see this. The world in fact, whether they are from the medical profession or WHO, is all waiting for this report to come through. So these 11 specialists are not only reporting to Hong Kong, they are reporting to the whole world. I don't think we need to doubt their objectivity or their independence. I have every confidence in them.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
End/Thursday, October 2, 2003
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