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Following is the speech by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, in the motion debate on "the whole community battling against adversity" moved by Hon Lau Kong-wah in the Legislative Council today (April 30):
Madam President,
First of all, I would like to thank the Hon Lau Kong-wah for moving this motion. Our community owes a lot to our medical and health personnel and we have our different ways to express our appreciation for so selflessly devoting themselves to the care of patients with SARS. We are also most grateful to all members of the community and organisations that have taken part in the battle against the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
SARS has posed a major challenge to our health care system and to our community, probably being the greatest challenge in recent Hong Kong. We are faced with a hitherto unknown virus which, in the past 50 days, has a disastrous effect on all our aspects of life, infecting an increasing number of people in Hong Kong day after day. Worse still, over 300 health care workers are among the unfortunate victims of this illness.
Our health care workers have exemplified the best of the qualities of humankind. However, like every man and woman in the street, they are susceptible to the disease, but they have persevered in their work selflessly, devoting their efforts to caring for the sick. Many have even sacrificed their personal and family life by self-imposed confinement or living away from home, for fear of infecting family members in the unfortunate event that they themselves became infected. The ultimate sacrifice is to serving with their lives. I would like to pay tribute to each and everyone of our colleagues working in the field and to Mr Lau Wing-kai for their contributions to the health and well-being of our community in their life-time.
Mobilisation of Resources for the Fight Against SARS
Madam President, our health care workers not only have our moral support and words of appreciation, they have our full support in terms of resources. We have made available temporary quarters for frontline Hospital Authority (HA) staff who are involved in handling SARS cases. On March 31, 2003, the Administration proposed, and the Finance Committee approved, the allocation of $200 million for treatment of SARS patients, strengthening infection control and public health education. The Chief Executive announced on April 23 that the Administration would seek the Finance Committee's approval to allocate $1.3 billion for medical research and enhancing public health as longer term measures to control the disease; and another $200 million to provide training on infectious disease control for health care professionals and assistance to health care staff infected with SARS.
A great deal of resources has been mobilised and devoted in the fight against SARS. Public hospitals have suspended non-urgent operations and some outpatient services. Physicians and nurses have been deployed from extended care hospitals to acute hospitals. Arrangements are being made to move some infirmary patients to convalescent institutions or homes. HA has already designated about 3 000 non-ICU beds for SARS patients and related uses. Some 1 300 doctors (28 per cent of all HA doctors) and 4500 nurses (23 per cent of all nurses) are currently engaged in taking care of patients with SARS. There are in addition also thousands of other health care workers who are involved in this fight against SARS.
To strengthen its health care team, HA has been recruiting additional health care staff, both locally and overseas, with a major focus for professionals with ICU experience and expertise. HA has also been concluding early contract renewal with some of its medical staff in order to sustain the manpower resources.
Protection of Health Care Workers
The government and HA attach great importance to strengthening measures to protect health care staff in the fight against SARS. In this connection, HA has been giving top priority and has made vigorous efforts to improve the ward environment to minimise cross-infection, ensure adequate supply of protective gears and step up infection control.
With the assistance of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department and other experts, HA has conducted a thorough examination of all the wards in use for treating SARS patients. HA is conducting urgent enhancement works for wards with a view to improving the overall air-exchange rates, and altering the pattern of airflow. Side-rooms and operation theatres are being converted into a negative-pressure environment. Where appropriate, the layout of ward settings are being rearranged to reduce the risk of cross-infection.
Procurement of protective gears, such as goggles, masks, jackets and trousers, gowns, disposable caps and gloves, is centrally coordinated to ensure continuous supply and to meet demand in accordance with assessed priorities. The HA keeps stock of and procures higher level protective gears for use by staff in areas of higher risks.
The HA has also introduced measures to strengthen infection control training and enforcement, enhance monitoring of infection control practices through a system of cluster-based infection control teams and hospital-based infection control wardens, facilitate experience sharing among health care staff, and step up surveillance on unsuspected cases in non-SARS wards. Measures to improve the safe use of medical equipment, such as the introduction of viral filters to resuscitation equipment, have also been introduced.
Precautionary Measures
While we are providing appropriate medical care to those infected with SARS, an equally important task is to contain the spread of the disease through various preventive measures which involve early detection, proactive contact tracing, prompt home confinement and effective containment.
Home confinement
We have created an online notification system which enables the Department of Health to act as soon as the patient is suspected to have SARS to facilitate early detection and treatment of the household contacts of patients. The Commissioner of Police has also made available information system which enables us to identify hot spots in the community and activates an investigation for environmental factors that will lead to outbreaks in the community.
To reduce the risk of the disease further spreading in the community, members are aware, we announced on April 10 that all household contacts of confirmed SARS patients are required to confine themselves at home for monitoring and treatment up to a maximum of 10 days. Department of Health staff will conduct medical checks on these individuals confined to their homes and observe closely their health conditions. If they need assistance to meet their daily needs, the Social Welfare Department and the Home Affairs Department will help.
From April 25, we have extended the confinement to all household contacts of suspected SARS patients. We understand that this requirement may bring inconvenience to some families. However, it is necessary to broaden the coverage of home confinement at an early stage to reduce the risk of the disease spreading to a minimum. We also appeal to the community's understanding and forbearance as compliance with the home confinement requirement has so far been satisfactory.
Measuring Body Temperature of Passengers
Also as part of the Government's strategies to contain the spread of SARS, all outbound passengers departing at the Hong Kong International Airport were required to have their body temperature taken since April 17. Any outbound passengers with a body temperature of over 38 degrees Celsius is required to seek medical advice. Those with fever or symptoms suggestive of SARS are not permitted to board a plane. To further prevent the spread of SARS, with effect from April 24, all inbound and transit passengers arriving at the airport are required to have their body temperature taken.
We have also started measuring the body temperature of inbound passengers arriving in Hong Kong via Hung Hom and Lo Wu with effect from April 24. Starting from April 26, passengers arriving at all immigration control points including those at land border and ferry terminals are required to have their body temperature taken. Moreover, Shenzhen and Hong Kong has each installed 15 infrared temperature scanners at both sides of Lo WU control point on April 26 to screen incoming passengers. Each side will also install some 200 infrared temperature scanners at the immigration counters at all border control points to check the body temperature of all incoming passengers. The installation is expected to be completed by mid-May.
Health Advice
In addition to the above preventive measures, we have been promoting the public's awareness of their health and environmental hygiene by issuing health advice on preventive measures against SARS, including personal and environmental hygiene measures and how to increase one's immunity by adopting a healthy lifestyle. The public will continue to learn about these messages through various channels: press releases and articles in newspapers and magazines, television and radio, the internet and widely distributed posters and pamphlets, including multilingual pamphlets for ethnic groups. We have also developed sector-specific guidelines for different sectors and building management companies to take the necessary precautions and to respond to reported cases appropriately.
We have set up a 24-hour health education hotline and a hotline designated to answer enquiries from the public. In collaboration with other organisations, we have organised health talks to keep the public informed of the disease and preventive measures and to allay their fears. To effectively contain the disease in the light of changing circumstances, we will provide new guidelines and services to the public whenever necessary.
Ethnic Groups
The Government has also made every effort to disseminate information on SARS to members of the non-Chinese community in Hong Kong, in consultation with the consulates and local community organisations.
As a result, about 600,000 leaflets in the native languages of a number of nationalities were produced and distributed. The languages include Dutch, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Nepali, Sinhala, Tagalog, Thai and Urdu.
In addition, arrangements were made for health messages in native languages to be broadcast on the radio.
Environmental Hygiene
To arouse the awareness of the public to the importance of environmental hygiene, and to clean up various environmental hygiene black spots, a mass scale community participation event, namely, the Territory-Wide Cleansing Day, was held on April 19 and 20, 2003. The campaign, comprising over 70 operations/promotion activities, covered all districts and a variety of venues, engaging all sectors including government departments, local organisations and voluntary agencies. I would like to thank all members of the community, the District Councils and all organisations who participated in the event. It is obvious that the event has demonstrated the determination, the concerted effort and solidarity of the community in fighting the disease.
Building Management
Proper building maintenance and management is essential to a safe and healthy environment. Government has appealed to all the Owners' Corporations, owners' committees and residents' associations of private buildings as well as major property management companies to check the drainage works of their buildings or the buildings under their management to ensure that the works are well maintained. A set of guidelines has been issued to facilitate the maintenance and repair of drainage works. Buildings Department will carry out audit checks on these buildings to ensure that the inspections arranged by Owners' Corporations or management companies are properly carried out and any necessary repairs are followed up.
Buildings Department staff have already commenced a walking survey on the drainage works of buildings without Owners' Corporations or not under the management of a property management company. At the same time, they provide individual owners of the buildings with copies of the guidelines to help them carry out more detailed checks on the drainage works and sanitary fitments within their own buildings. If any defective drainage works are identified, they will require the building owners concerned to follow up the matter and carry out any necessary repairs. When warranted, Buildings Department will carry out any necessary repair works in the first instance and recover the costs from the owners concerned afterwards. Owners in need of financial assistance in carrying out the inspection or any necessary repairs of drainage works may apply for a loan under the Building Safety Loan Scheme.
Psychological Management & Social Assistance
We understand that some people, including some members of the public, those who have been infected with the disease, friends and families of those yet to recover, and certainly our doctors, nurses and healthcare workers, have experienced emotional distress in the last couple of weeks. To address their anxiety, we have arranged for clinical psychologists to provide advice on psychological management of SARS through the media, Social Welfare Department's (SWD) website and various channels. They also produce psycho-educational materials targeted at the public and specific groups, including people under home confinement, service recipients of small group homes and rehabilitation centres, and those whose family members, friends or relatives have died of SARS.
Moreover, SWD and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have strengthened their hotline service to provide emotional support to those in need. NGOs providing children and youth welfare services offer support for students during the class suspension period. SWD has drawn up specific guidelines for operators of welfare units to promote understanding of SARS and help its prevention.
Collaboration with the Mainland
In my reply to an oral question this afternoon, I have explained the recent work of the Guangdong Province - Hong Kong Expert Group on Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Atypical Pneumonia. I will not repeat it here. Suffice it to say that exchange between the health authorities in the Mainland and Hong Kong has been and will continue to be accorded paramount importance. Also at his meeting with the Chief Executive, President Hu pledged the Central Government's full support for any requirements that the SAR may require from the Mainland.
Conclusion
Madam President, obviously it is very distressing for us when our health care workers get sick, especially in the context of Mr Lau Wing-kai who has suffered from SARS and has died as a result of it. However, I can pledge that the Government will do all it can to ensure that we protect our health care staff from this very unfortunate infection. The Secretary for Economic Development and Labour will now speak on the package of relief and economic revival measures to help the community. Thank you.
End/Wednesday, April 30, 2003
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