Press Releases

SFH on lead in drinking water incidents

Following is the transcript of remarks made by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, after attending a television programme today (July 26):

Reporter: (On children who are found to have lagging development.)

Secretary for Food and Health: For child development, we have a set of so-called developmental milestones. At each different age sector, our experts will compare the state of development of a child against the milestones. Right now, out of the 23 children who were assessed at the child assessment centre, three were found to have certain developments falling behind the milestones. They will receive follow-up assessments at our child assessment clinic.

Reporter: We heard officials saying that it is difficult to determine whether that is related to excessive lead found in water. Why are so?

Secretary for Food and Health: It is true because we are talking about a battery of different developmental areas, namely motor development, sensory development and social development. It is a very complicated issue. Individual children will be assessed in totality against the set of developmental milestones. Our health care system will provide them with appropriate follow-up arrangements individually.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

Ends/Sunday, July 26, 2015
Issued at HKT 12:27

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