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An exercise was held today (September 27) to review some frontline operations in the event of a human case of avian flu.
Code-named Cypress, the exercise was organised by the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health in collaboration with the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau, the Hospital Authority and the Fire Services Department.
More than 500 participants took part in the exercise. More than 30 experts from the Mainland, Macau and Hong Kong also participated in this exercise as observers.
The exercise scenario unfolded when two members of a tour group from Hong Kong developed avian flu symptoms after visiting a fictitious country in Southeast Asia.
They were later confirmed to have been infected with avian flu and were admitted to the Princess Margaret Hospital for treatment.
After receiving notification of the cases, the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food immediately convened a high-level meeting and decided to activate the Serious Response Level of the three-level response system relating to influenza pandemic.
The CHP immediately swung into action, which included conducting an epidemiological investigation and contact tracing for people in Hong Kong who had been in contact with the two patients.
Television and radio appeals were broadcast urging passengers who took the same flight with the two patients and who had symptoms to call the specially set-up hotline.
Emergency response measures were implemented in PMH and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital when crowds of people turned up at their Accident and Emergency Departments for consultation.
To contain the spread of the disease, suspected avian flu patients were put into isolation wards.
There were ground movements in this exercise, which included the triaging of patients and the transfer of patients from one hospital to another.
The exercise ended when the patients were isolated for treatment and a press conference had been conducted jointly by CHP and the Hospital Authority.
Commenting on the exercise, the Director of Health, Dr PY Lam said the focus of the exercise was on frontline operations, such as the handling and transfer of patients in public hospitals and contact tracing by CHP's personnel.
"We want to review the readiness of public hospitals in handling an influx of patients and the efficiency of the CHP's Surveillance and Epidemiology Branch in contact tracing when a large number of people suddenly turn up at hospitals for consultation.
"It enables us to review the effectiveness of the procedures laid down in our contingency plan as well as the co-ordination among departments and organisations taking part in the exercise," Dr Lam said.
He said that even though there had been no human case of avian flu in Hong Kong since 2004, Hong Kong had to remain vigilant and be well prepared for a possible outbreak of the disease.
Ends/Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Issued at HKT 18:10
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