HK vigilant against possible SARS as holiday approaches

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, January 21, 2004

HK vigilant against possible SARS as holiday approaches

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The next two weeks will remain a high-risk period for a possible resurgence of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Hong Kong, Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Tung Chee Hwa said on Tuesday.

After visiting Lo Wu Control Point, Tung said that Hong Kong must do its best on disease surveillance and prepare for the worst.

He said the Department of Health's checks have been stepped up at immigration points to tighten surveillance at the boundary.

Noting that more than 8.5 million people will pass through immigration points over the Lunar New Year holiday, Tung said it is not an easy task to handle such a huge number of people and thanked staff for their dedicated service.

The Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food of Hong Kong, Yeoh Eng-kiong, Tuesday said the Ministry of Health has notified Hong Kong that 72 hospitals in major Chinese mainland cities and provinces have been designated to treat patients from Macao, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and also overseas visitors who come down with atypical pneumonia.

"So if anyone in Hong Kong goes back to the mainland and unfortunately feels unwell and suspects that they have pneumonia and wishes to seek medical consultation, they can go to these 72 designated hospitals," Yeoh said.

He urged the citizens to look after their health, and stressed that ensuring good food and environmental hygiene is key to a happy and healthy holiday.

On preventing a resurgence of SARS and strengthening the preparedness, Hong Kong government has teamed up with various relevant sectors, including the public and private healthcare sectors, the social welfare sector, schools, public housing estates, private property management, public transport, the tourism industry and other relevant stakeholders.

Appropriate guidelines have been issued and necessary preventive measures, including drills and exercises, have been taken in these sectors.

Hong Kong has also enhanced surveillance of influenza-like illnesses and pneumonia among patients, hospital staff and residents of welfare services institutions.

The government continued to work closely with the mainland and Macao health authorities, and maintained close communication with the World Health Organization and the health authorities of other countries.

In terms of combating SARS should it return, the government hasalready prepared an overall emergency response mechanism that provides for a clear command structure for making strategic decisions.

In addition, individual bureaus and departments are also required to prepare their own departmental contingency plans.

The Health Department of Hong Kong has produced a series of publicity and educational materials on the prevention of SARS.

These materials, which urge good personal and environmental hygiene as a prevention against SARS, are intended for the public,medical practitioners and visitors to Hong Kong.

On Tuesday, Co-chairpersons of Hong Kong's Monitoring Committeeon Implementation of the SARS Expert Committee Report's Recommendations, Sian Griffiths and Cyril Chantler visited the Princess Margaret Hospital, and hailed the creation of a Center for Health Protection.

The committee was on its second day of checking the implementation progress of the 46 recommendations.

HK's health dept steps up publicity on SARS

The Health Department of Hong Kong has produced a series of publicity and educational materials on the prevention of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

These materials, which urge good personal and environmental hygiene as a prevention against SARS, are intended for the public,medical practitioners and visitors to Hong Kong.

A spokesman of the department said on Tuesday that the publicity material included Announcements in the Public Interest for broadcast on television and radio, posters carrying the theme,calendar cards and red packets for distribution at immigration checkpoints.

The department has also produced a booklet on SARS preventive measures, which has been uploaded to the SARS homepage and is available at District Offices.

As for professionals, the spokesman said the department had earlier this month joined with the Hong Kong Medical Association to promote a "Guideline on SARS for Private Medical Practitioners."

In view of the cold spell, the spokesman reminded the elderly and staff of all elderly peoples' homes to take precautions to prevent respiratory infections and ensure proper ventilation in the homes.

Too early to conclude on SARS outbreak: researcher

Despite the measures taken by the Guangdong provincial government, it's still too early to conclude whether SARS would break out this year, renowned medical researcher from China's mainland Zhong Nanshan said in Hong Kong Tuesday.

Zhong made the remarks in a speech called What We Have Leant from SARS at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

According to him, early identification, early report, early isolation and early management, and the strict control of the wildlife market, are some of the measures that have been taken by Guangdong, where SARS first outbreaked at the end of 2002, in its fight against SARS.

He pointed out that since 76 percent of the civet cats in Guangdong were identified with SARS virus, the Guangdong government has recently decided to close the 17 rearing farms of the civet cats in an effort to cut the SARS infectious channel from animals to human beings.

Zhong pointed out that infectious diseases still remains the world's major cause of death from disease, and timely and accurate public reporting on epidemics is extremely important for social stability.

Source: Xinhua

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