Press Releases
SFH on Expert Group on Melamine Incident
Following is the transcript of remarks made by the Secretary for Food and
Health, Dr York Chow, at a stand-up media session in the West Wing lobby of
Central Government Offices today (September 26):
Secretary for Food and Health: The Chief Executive has instructed the formation
of an expert task force. We held the first meeting today. The membership of the
expert group includes experts from the medical, scientific and other fields, and
representatives from a number of our departments and bureaux. Our role is to
ensure that the public hospital and health service systems can cope with the
screening of children and citizens who might be affected by the melamine intake.
Secondly we have to assess the situation to ensure that milk products and
related food are examined and investigated thoroughly to protect the health of
our citizens. Thirdly we have to investigate and advise on the amendment of the
law so that we can deal with future import, sales and recall of food. Fourthly
we have to ensure that we have a system of communication with the public so that
we can refine our reporting system, timing and details. Fifthly we have to
monitor the situation closely, including the trend of children from the Mainland
who might have a right of abode in Hong Kong and who would like to seek
treatment in Hong Kong. There will be three working groups under the expert
group, which are the Food Safety, Supply and Control Sub-group, the Treatment
Sub-group and the Health Services Sub-group.
Reporter: (about services provided by designated clinics)
Dr Leung Pak-yin, Director (Quality and Safety) of the Hospital Authority: At
the moment, it is difficult to estimate how many children will be coming for
assessment. I have just mentioned that the opening hours of our 18 designated
clinics will be extended. Initially, we plan to have normal service hours (for
Saturdays and Sundays) from 9 am to 1 pm. But as more people could be coming in
the next week, we are going to extend the service hours for September 27 and 28,
October 1 and the next Saturday and Sunday, from initially 9 am to 1 pm to 9 am
to 5 pm. We hope that with that opening hour, we can see how many people will be
coming and adjust our manpower to meet the need.
Reporter: (about the level of melamine)
Professor Chan Yan-keung, member of Expert Committee on Food Safety: Actually,
it won't be necessary to adopt a zero tolerance at the moment simply because
there is no evidence to say that a minute amount of contaminant due to this
chemical is going to harm our health in the long term. So that is not necessary.
On the other hand, if you spend more resources trying to measure the very minute
amount of this chemical, it will take up more resources and manpower so that we
won't be able to look at all the food products that the public might be exposed
to. But in the future, based on new scientific data, it might be necessary to
revise the criteria. That is a possibility, but might be after the expert group
had met to discuss the issue again.
(Please also refer to the
Chinese session of the transcript)
Ends/Friday, September 26, 2008
Issued at HKT 21:15
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