SARS experts committee appointed

The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, today (May 28) announced the membership of the experts committee on severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) to review the management and control of the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong.

Nine international and local professionals and experts have been appointed as members of the experts committee. Others from the Mainland are being contacted and will join the committee when its work begins.

The Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr E K Yeoh, has been appointed committee chairman.

The experts committee will review the work of the government, including the Hospital Authority, in the management and control of the SARS outbreak.

It will also examine and review the capabilities and structure of the healthcare system in Hong Kong and the organisation and operation of the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority in the prevention and management of infectious diseases, such as SARS.

Having regard to the experience gained in the recent outbreak, the committee will identify lessons to be learnt, and make recommendations on improvements where necessary in order to better prepare Hong Kong's system for any future outbreaks.

"I am delighted that so many foremost experts from around the world will be coming to Hong Kong to work with us," Mr Tung said.

"They are experts in the field of hospital management, epidemiology, public health and clinical treatment. They are from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and two of them are from Hong Kong," he said.

Mr Tung said it was an issue that affected the well-being of everyone in Hong Kong.

"As we move ahead with our work, we need to be sure that we look for solutions. We want to gain from our experience, but we want to ensure this is done in such a way that our whole medical system remains stable, efficient and forward-looking," Mr Tung said.

The review is expected to be completed by September so that Hong Kong's healthcare system can be better prepared to handle any future outbreak in the shortest possible time.

The members of the experts committee are:

Professor Sian Griffiths, President, Faculty of Public Health Medicine, The Royal Colleges of Physicians, UK:

Dr Meirion Evans, Senior Lecturer Department of Epidemiology, Statistics and Public Health, University of Wales College of Medicine, UK;

Professor Harvey Fineberg, President, Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, US;

Dr Jeffrey Koplan, Vice President for Academic Health Affairs, Emory University, US;

Sir Cyril Chantler, Senior Associate, The King's Fund, London and Chairman, Board of the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children

Dr Sherene Devanesen, President, Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators Australia, Chief Executive, Peninsula Health, Australia;

Mr John Wyn Owen, Secretary, The Nuffield Trust, UK, Senior Associate, The Judge Institute of Management University of Cambridge;

Professor Rosie Young, Former Chairman, Medical Council Hong Kong, Former Pro-Vice-Chancellor, The University of Hong Kong;

Professor Lee Shiu-hung, Emeritus Professor of Community Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The Chief Executive also announced that the Secretary for Home Affairs, Dr Patrick Ho, had been appointed to establish an advisory committee to suggest suitable ways to commemorate the devotion and altruism demonstrated by members of the public and healthcare workers in the fight against SARS.

The membership of the committee, to be drawn from the community at large, will be announced later. The committee is required to submit a proposal to the Chief Executive before the end of June.

Mr Tung emphasised that completely eradicating SARS remained the government's top priority.

"We must not let down our guard. We must step up our preventive measures in order to strike Hong Kong off the World Health Organisation's infected area list as soon as possible," he said.

End/Wednesday, May 28, 2003