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Following is a question by the Hon Lee Kai-ming and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mrs Regina Ip, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

It is reported that a passenger suffered a heart attack on a plane when it landed at the new airport at Chek Lap Kok, but the ambulance arrived at the scene only 20 minutes after receiving the emergency call. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) why the ambulance failed to arrive at the scene within the target travel time of 10 minutes, as set down in the Performance Pledge of the Fire Services Department; and

(b) whether it has any plan to set up a first aid station in the restricted area of the airport; if so, when such a station will be set up; if not, why not?

Reply:

Madam President,

(a) It is not true that in the case referred to by the Honourable Member (Mr Lee Kai-ming), the ambulance failed to arrive at the scene within the target travel time of ten minutes, as set out in the performance pledge of the Fire Services Department (FSD). The Emergency Ambulance Service of the FSD pledges to meet 92.5% of emergency calls within a travel time of ten minutes. Travel time measures the interval between the despatch of an ambulance and its arrival at the street level of the scene. In the case of the airport, street level represents the emergency vehicle assembly point to the apron area (i.e. Gate House No. 2) or the Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) (i.e. departures kerb at Level 8 or emergency access at Level 3).

On August 11, 1998, the Fire Services Communications Centre (FSCC) of the FSD received an emergency call from an air passenger that another passenger on board an aircraft taxiing in the apron of the airport was suffering from heart disease. An ambulance from the Chek Lap Kok (CLK) Fire Station was despatched at 10.57 am and arrived at the apron gate in a travel time of four minutes at 11.01 am.

The ambulance was guided to the designated parking stand and reached the patient on board the aircraft at 11.09 am. The ambulance crew immediately provided initial treatment to the patient and stabilised his condition before he was conveyed to hospital. There was no delay in the provision of emergency service to the patient.

Subsequent to this incident the FSD and the Airport Authority (AA) have reviewed and further refined the arrangements; at the same time airlines have been reminded that if a passenger is taken ill on board an inbound flight, the flight crew should notify the airport before landing so that an ambulance can be standing-by on arrival of the aircraft at its parking stand.

(b) Emergency ambulance service for the international airport or the CLK Island is provided by the CLK Fire Station (location as indicated in the sketch map attached). Under normal circumstances, an ambulance from the Fire Station can reach the airfield or the PTB within a four-minute travel time, and it takes another three to five minutes for the ambulance crew to reach a patient within the PTB or on board an aircraft parking in the apron. The FSD has undertaken to station at least two ambulances at the CLK Fire Station at any time to serve airport users or passengers. Such a level of service provision is considered adequate, given that an ambulance of the CLK Fire Station currently handles less than four emergency calls a day, whereas ambulances in other areas are each responding to nine calls daily.

The attached sketch map indicates that the CLK Fire Station is located fairly close to the airport operational area, allowing direct and easy access to the different facilities, including the PTB, the apron area and other major service providers.

As the emergency ambulance service for air passengers or other airport users is considered adequate, the Administration have no plan to set up an additional ambulance depot in the airport restricted area at this stage. Moreover, first-aid services may also be obtained from two private medical clinics within and outside the airport restricted area. The FSD will nevertheless keep the situation under review.

End/Wednesday, September 23, 1998

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