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Following is a question by the Hon Chan Yuen-han and a reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, in the Legislative Council today (May 28):
Question :
Regarding the control of highly infectious diseases, will the Government inform this Council whether it will set up:
(a) isolation centres at the airport and various border control points to admit cross-boundary travellers who are suspected to be infected with highly infectious diseases;
(b) isolation centres in remote areas to admit those who are suspected to be infected with highly infectious diseases and have to be isolated; and
(c) a hospital dedicated to treating patients suffering from infectious diseases?
Answer :
Madam President,
(a) The Port Health Office of the Department of Health enforces relevant provisions of the Quarantine and Prevention of Disease Ordinance (Cap. 141) to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in Hong Kong. The Ordinance also gives effect to the International Health Regulations in order to prevent the introduction of quarantinable diseases, namely, plague, cholera and yellow fever, into Hong Kong. The master of any vessel or aircraft is required to report to the Port Health Office any case of quarantinable diseases or infectious diseases specified in the First Schedule of the Ordinance, which he knows to exist on his vessel or aircraft. Any persons suspected to be infected with these diseases may be medically inspected by a health officer and sent to hospitals for management as appropriate.
In order to contain the spread of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), the Government has implemented preventive measures at the airport and border control points, including health declaration and temperature screening. Travellers with body temperature higher than normal or reporting to have the specified symptoms will be referred to the medical post set up at the airport or the control points for further assessment. Those suspected to be infected with SARS will be referred to a hospital for further examination and treatment. Due precaution will be taken during examination and transfer of these suspects. There are no plans to set up isolation centres at the airport or other border control points.
(b) We will quickly identify the close contacts of suspected or confirmed SARS patients through proactive contact-tracing, and require them to undergo home confinement. These people are also given the choice of moving to holiday camps. In this connection, in April 2003 we have appointed Lady MacLehose Holiday Village, Sai Kung Outdoor Recreation Centre and Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village under Regulation 10 of the Prevention of the Spread of Infectious Diseases Regulations as places to which persons who have been exposed to the risk of infection of SARS are to be removed. We shall appoint other places for this purpose whenever necessary.
(c) The Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) is a designated infectious disease centre in Hong Kong equipped with dedicated facilities for handling patients with infectious diseases. Due to the declining demand for this type of medical services over the years, there are 86 isolation beds in PMH at present. In the light of the recent outbreak of the SARS in Hong Kong, we are considering various options of further expansion of the existing infectious disease facilities of the public hospital system in the context of the current organisation of public hospital services and possible emergence of new infectious disease which we may encounter in future. As it would take time to build the infectious disease facilities, as a short-term measure, the Hospital Authority will improve the ventilation and isolation facilities of existing hospitals to improve their ability to handle infectious diseases.
Ends/Wednesday, May 28, 2003
Issued at HKT 16:05
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