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Following is a question by Dr Hon Kwok Ka-ki and a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Yau Shing-mu, in the Legislative Council today (December 4):
Question:
It has been reported that a Cheung Chau resident was suspected to have had a heart attack while on board a ferry sailing from Central to Cheung Chau on April 28 this year, and passed away after admission to the hospital for emergency rescue. Some ferry passengers have relayed to me that at present, ferries are not equipped with automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and even basic first aid facilities are also inadequate on board. As a result, the conditions of passengers who are injured or under heart attack may deteriorate as they have not received any first aid treatment. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the respective numbers of cases involving injuries or deaths of passengers caused by accidents while they were on board a ferry, and cases involving bouts of illness of passengers, in the past five years;
(b) of the number of injured ferry passengers transferred by ambulance from ferry piers to hospitals for treatment in the past five years; the average time span between the moment when they were injured and their arrival at hospital;
(c) whether the authorities have any plan to require ferry companies to arrange first aid training for their staff, and to provide subsidies for such training activities; and
(d) whether the authorities have required ferry companies to regularly replenish the first aid facilities on board; if they have, of the detail; whether the authorities will require ferry companies to install AEDs on board?
Reply:
President,
Our reply to the various parts of Dr Hon Kwok Ka-ki's question is as follows:
(a) According to Marine Department's Marine Accidents Statistics, the number of persons killed and injured in relation to franchised and licensed ferry services in the past five years is as follows –
Year Persons Injured Persons Killed
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2008 7 0
2009 14 0
2010 1 0
2011 76 0
2012 22 0
Marine Department does not have the statistics of cases involving bouts of illness of passengers on franchised and licensed ferries.
(b) According to Fire Services Department, the Department does not have the statistics regarding the time span for transferring injured ferry passengers from ferry piers to hospitals by ambulances.
(c) Pursuant to the Examination Rules for Local Certificates of Competency made under section 16 of the Merchant Shipping (Local Vessels) Ordinance (Cap. 548) of Hong Kong shipping ordinances, applicant for the issue of a Coxswain Grade 1 Certificate or an Engine Operator Grade 1 Certificate must hold a first aid certificate issued by Marine Department's approved training institutes.
Currently, all franchised and most of the licensed ferry vessels are operated by holders of Coxswain Grade 1 Certificate and Engine Operator Grade 1 Certificate, except some individual ferry routes which are running services with smaller vessels due to low patronage.
The said first aid training requirements are stipulated in accordance with the aforementioned Ordinance. Marine Department has no plan to provide subsidies for these trainings.
(d) Regarding the first aid facilities, pursuant to Annex I-6 of the Code of Practice – Safety Standards for Class I, II and III Vessels, made under section 8 of the Merchant Shipping (Local Vessels) Ordinance (Cap. 548) of Hong Kong shipping ordinances, Class I vessels (which include local franchised and licensed ferries) and Class II vessels plying within river trade limits should be provided with first aid kit. Ship owner / coxswain should regularly check the items in the first aid kit, make sure that they are not past their best before dates, and replenish them as and when necessary. At the same time, the number of first aid kits should be sufficient and in relation to the number of passengers onboard. The first aid items should also be placed in conspicuously marked and easily accessible containers. Marine Department officers will inspect the first aid kits to see if they comply with the requirement of the Code of Practice during regular vessel survey.
According to Food and Health Bureau, automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) are medical devices used to perform cardiac resuscitation on patients. Medical and first-aid researches have shown that with the simultaneous use of an AED in the course of performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a patient suffering from heart attack, the survival rate of the patient could be increased. However, before using AEDs on patients, consideration must be given to the patients' prevailing circumstances and attention must be paid to the operation procedures. In this connection, anyone using an AED should first receive training on first aid and operation of the device, and should send the patients to hospitals for further medical treatment as quickly as possible. Currently, there is no statutory requirement for the installation of AEDs. Should ferry operators wish to install AEDs, Transport Department would be pleased to offer referral assistance through relevant departments to provide operators with the information about equipment procurement and training courses.
Ends/Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Issued at HKT 12:01
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