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The Finance Committee of the Legislative Council today (November 7) approved a one-off commitment of $150 million for the setting up of the Trust Fund for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) to provide ex-gratia assistance to families with deceased SARS patients and eligible recovered SARS patients and "suspected" SARS patients.
In revealing details of the trust fund, a spokesman for the Health Welfare and Food Bureau (HWFB) said special ex-gratia relief payments, without going through financial eligibility test, would be made to the families of deceased SARS patients as follows:
* surviving spouse: $200,000
* dependent child(ren): $500,000 each for those under 18; $300,000 each for those between 18 and 21 in full-time studies;
* dependent parent(s) $300,000 each; and
* those not falling into the above category but meeting certain criteria : $100,000 for each family.
Special ex-gratia payments serving as tide-over assistance would also be made to eligible recovered SARS patients suffering from longer term effects, attributable to SARS (including the effects of medication received for SARS), which might result in some degree of physical or psychological dysfunction.
Similar assistance will be provided to eligible "suspected" SARS patients treated with steroids who suffer from longer term effects which might result in some degree of physical dysfunction.
The spokesman said applications from these two groups (i.e. recovered SARS patients and "suspected" SARS patients treated with steroids) would be considered on a case-by-case basis on individual merit, subject to medical proof and financial needs.
"There must be some degree of relevant dysfunction as applicable to the recovered SARS patient or 'suspected' SARS patient treated with steroids, on the basis of the attending doctor's assessment.
"There must also be a loss or reduction in income or increase in expenditure of the patient in question as a result of the SARS infection, on the basis of the medical social worker's advice," the spokesman said.
The total financial assistance for these two groups would be capped at $500,000 for each patient. The level of assistance will be determined on individual circumstances of each case.
The purview of the Fund would be confined to those patients, who are Hong Kong residents, clinically diagnosed as having SARS during the outbreak in Hong Kong from March to June 2003. The assistance is special and ex-gratia in nature, on a without admission of liability basis, and is to be determined by the Trustee in consultation with an independent committee - the Committee on Trust Fund for SARS.
The committee has been set up to advise the Administration on the operation of and applications for assistance from the trust fund. There is a balanced mix of non-official members, ranging from medical and welfare professionals as well as representative from patients' group.
Announcing the membership of the committee today, the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, confirmed that Dr David Fang, a private orthopaedic surgeon, has been appointed as the chairperson. Dr Fang has also served as the vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation since 1990 and has just become the president of the Society. Dr Fang is a member of the Medical Council of Hong Kong.
Other members include Ms Iris Chan, the chairperson of the Alliance for Patients Mutual Help Organisations; Ms Deborah Wan Lai-yau, the chief executive officer of New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association; Mr Benedict Wong Chung-mat, advisory board member of Yan Chai Hospital; and Ms Scarlett Pong Oi-lan, member of the Pharmacy and Poisons Appeal Tribunal. Mr Paul KW Tang, Director of Social Welfare, will act as the trustee of the Fund.
A review body -- the Review Committee on Trust Fund for SARS -- has also been set up to advise on appeals by applicants aggrieved by the decisions of the Trustee of the Trust Fund for SARS. It will be chaired by Mr Benjamin Yu, a senior counsel with experience in other appeal bodies.
Other members include Ms Christine Fang, the chief executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, and Professor Richard Yu, the president of the Hong Kong College of Physicians.
On the appointments, Dr Yeoh said, "We are very pleased with the appointments of the committees comprising highly reputable persons with expertise and experience in medical, legal and welfare service background."
"We are arranging for the Committee on Trust Fund for SARS to meet next week, if possible, with an aim to invite applications as soon as detailed application procedures are agreed," he added.
A core team has been set up in the Social Welfare Department (SWD) Headquarters to support the operation of the Trust Fund and oversee follow-up support services for the SARS affected families.
For general information, please access the websites of SWD (http://www.info.gov.hk/swd), the Hospital Authority (www.ha.org.hk), the Department of Health (http://www.info.gov.hk/dh), and the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau (http://www.hwfb.gov.hk).
Annex
Membership lists:
Committee on Trust Fund for SARS
Chairperson
Dr David Fang
Non-official Members
Ms Deborah Wan Lai-yau
Ms Iris Chan Sui-ching
Mr Benedict Wong Chung-mat
Ms Scarlett Pong Oi-lan
Trustee
Mr Paul KW Tang, Director of Social Welfare
Review Committee on Trust Fund for SARS
Chairperson
Mr Benjamin Yu, SC
Non-official Members
Ms Christine Fang
Professor Richard Yu
Ends/Friday, November 7, 2003
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