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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
Regarding the services of the Designated Clinics and the Special Assessment Centres, the Hospital Authority (HA) spokesperson provided the following update today (October 30):
The Designated Clinics today (as at 5pm) provided initial assessment to 366 patients. Patients who require further assessment and treatment have been referred to the Special Assessment Centres (SACs). The Assessment Centres attended to 340 patients today. A total of 46,245 attendances and 16,303 assessments have been reported at the Designated Clinics and SACs respectively since they began operations on September 23.
As the service demand at the SACs has levelled off and become quite steady recently, the HA has decided to cease the SAC service at North District Hospital. Currently there are eight assessment centres in the seven hospital clusters. The HA will continue to closely monitor the service demand and adjust the arrangements accordingly.
The clinics and SACs will be in operation for at least six months and as long as there is demand for the service. Children who could not be assessed at the Designated Clinics on the same day of attendance will be given the earliest possible appointment in the following days. In the coming three days, a total of around 800 appointments have already been made at the Designated Clinics.
As of today, the Centre for Health Protection has received 10 reports of melamine tainted milk products-related renal stones in children, including eight cases reported by the HA.
The HA reiterated that the free screening service was a contingency arrangement with its prime focus on local children who had an "eligible person" status. Other patients will be referred to private healthcare providers to reserve adequate capacity for locals.
Ends/Thursday, October 30, 2008
Issued at HKT 18:43
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