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The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (October 18) visited the Tuen Mun Hospital (TMH) and the Toxicology Reference Laboratory at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) under the Hospital Authority (HA) and the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health to gain a deeper understanding of the work of frontline healthcare staff in the wake of the incidents of lead in drinking water.
Accompanied by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, and the Deputising Chief Executive of the HA, Dr Cheung Wai-lun, Mrs Lam visited the Ambulatory Care Centre at TMH to inspect the blood taking arrangements for the Voluntary Blood Lead Level Screening scheme. The TMH has been providing two-day blood taking services to kindergarten students from kindergartens with drinking water confirmed to have excessive lead content. Mrs Lam was briefed by healthcare staff on blood taking procedures and related services provided by the hospital. She also chatted with the students and their parents to listen to their views on blood taking arrangements.
This was followed by a visit to the HA Toxicology Reference Laboratory at the PMH where she learned more about the contingency measures that have been put in place to cope with the surge in laboratory workload. She also saw for herself the operation of blood lead level rapid testing device and test result verification device respectively.
Mrs Lam and Dr Ko then proceeded to the CHP, where they were accompanied by the Director of Health, Dr Constance Chan, to meet with the staff of the hotline centre, the Programme Management and Professional Development Branch, Non-communicable Disease Division of the Surveillance and Epidemiology Branch and the Emergency Response Centre to better understand their work.
Mrs Lam was glad to learn of the swift deployment of frontline healthcare staff to provide blood lead testing to people affected by the incidents of lead in drinking water. She commended them for working untiringly with their professionalism and dedication under huge pressure for public health.
Several bureaux and departments have been following up with the incidents of lead in drinking water unremittingly. Earlier, Mrs Lam had paid visits to the Water Supplies Department, the Government Laboratory and the Housing Department to better understand their work and professional support in the incidents. She encouraged staff to continue with their dedication and perseverance in serving the community.
Ends/Sunday, October 18, 2015
Issued at HKT 13:24
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