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Following are the opening remarks made by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, at the hearing of the Select Committee to inquire into the handling of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak by the Government and the Hospital Authority in the Legislative Council today (March 13):
Mr Chairman,
Thank you for inviting me to the hearing of the Select Committee this morning. Before I answer Members' questions, I would like to make a few general points.
The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic last year was the greatest public health challenge faced by modern Hong Kong. It was an event unprecedented not only in the modern history of Hong Kong, but also around the world. It was a painful experience for all of us, particularly for those who lost their loved ones.
When the SARS epidemic began in Hong Kong in March last year, little was known about the disease. The term "Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)" was only coined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on March 15, 2003. In fact, the newly identified coronavirus was only accepted by WHO as the causative agent on April 16, 2003.
The world had undergone a steep learning curve in the knowledge about SARS and its control measures during the epidemic. However, despite the very heroic progress made by the scientific community over the past year, much remains unknown about the disease.
Facing an epidemic of an unknown disease, we worked closely with local and overseas experts and the healthcare sector in order to learn more about the disease. My colleagues and I in the Government and the Hospital Authority had all tried our very best to meet the challenges within the constraints. The guiding principle for us at all times and right from the beginning was that public health, and the health of every member of the community must be paramount in every Government decision relating to the SARS outbreak.
Despite the difficulties, the outbreak had brought out the best in our community, with many people having contributed to the battle against the disease through their extraordinary service, hard work, professionalism and attention to duty.
Finally, Mr Chairman, while I would give my replies in English to ensure the accuracy of the information provided to the Committee, I would like to say a few words in Chinese.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion)
Ends/Saturday, March 13, 2004
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