Press Releases
Work to prepare HK against communicable diseases progressing well
The Government plans to use $538.3 million to build a new infectious disease block attached to Princess Margaret Hospital.
Speaking after a visit to the site of the new block today (June 7), the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, said the purpose-built building would enhance Hong Kong's capacity to handle communicable diseases that might strike rapidly and massively like SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) last year.
The new building, which is expected to be completed before June 2007, will provide 108 isolation beds, an intensive care unit and facilities meeting international standards.
The new block will accommodate a clinical laboratory for the handling, collection and distribution of highly infectious specimens, and an office of the Infection Control Branch of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP).
"In the past 12 months, we have made good progress in implementing the recommendations of the SARS Expert Committee to enhance our systems to protect the public against communicable diseases.
"We shall continue to enhance various aspects including the contingency planning, public health system, research, training and infection control in hospitals," Dr Yeoh said.
On infrastructure, the Government has committed some $3.075 billion to enhance Hong Kong's health and medical infrastructure. A total of $477.7 million has been committed to enhance infection control and isolation facilities. Some 1,400 isolation beds have been put in place in hospitals.
On contingency planning, Dr Yeoh noted the health authorities together with relevant government departments and other agencies had held over 40 drills to test and assess the workability of their contingency plans. A drill that will involve observers from overseas health agencies in autumn is being actively prepared.
On the public health system, Dr Yeoh said: "With the official launch of the CHP on June 1, a dedicated team of health and medical experts is now ready to monitor the public health situation in Hong Kong and to map out a strategy to prevent and control communicable diseases.
"To further increase the capability of the public health system, the Government has committed some $200 million for the development a new Communicable Disease Information System (CDIS) to further apply advanced information technology in disease surveillance, subject to a feasibility study," he said.
On research, the Government has set up a $500 million research fund and universities and institutions are being commissioned to conduct research projects on infectious diseases.
Acknowledging healthcare workers as valuable assets of the community, Dr Yeoh said: "We must protect our healthcare workers and patients from hospital-acquired infection by implementing good hospital infection control programmes and training. In this regard, basic and refresher training on infection control have been given to more than 30,000 staff working in the Hospital Authority (HA) since last September."
The Chairman of the HA, Dr Leong Che-hung, envisaged closer collaboration with the Department of Health and the CHP.
"With the setting up of the CHP, we are able to better communicate and cooperate in tackling infectious diseases much faster," he said.
The Controller of the CHP, Dr Leung Pak-yin, said the CHP would form regional public health emergency response teams with the support of HA cluster chief executives.
"When there is a major outbreak in the region, we will work side by side with the hospital experts and university experts to combat infectious diseases," he added.
Also joining today's visit were the Chief Executive of the HA, Dr William Ho, and the Director of Health, Dr Lam Ping-yan.
Ends/Monday, June 7, 2004
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