Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ1: Preventing the spread of diseases
Following is a question by the Hon Cyd Ho Sau-lan and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, in the Legislative Council today (March 5):
Question :
With regard to medical and health services, particularly relating to public health and preventing the spread of diseases, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the number of occasions in the past three years on which the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau, Department of Health and Hospital Authority communicated with the corresponding Guangdong authorities in respect of matters relating to medical and health services, and list out, in chronological order of the communications, the issues discussed, the responsible local and Guangdong officials involved, the outcome of the discussions and the follow-up actions taken by the relevant authorities in Hong Kong and Guangdong; and
(b) whether it has assessed the effectiveness of the communication mechanism mentioned above; if it has, of the assessment results; whether it will improve and enhance this communication mechanism; if it will, of the implementation timetable, the responsible officials, the circumstances in which the mechanism will be activated, as well as other relevant details?
Reply :
(a) Hong Kong operates an effective public health control system, including monitoring the pattern and trend of communicable diseases, through efforts on international, regional and local fronts. We maintain an international network for the exchange of epidemiological information through the World Health Organization (WHO). Currently, the WHO requires notification of all cases of cholera, yellow fever and plague and routine report of statistics on cases of rabies, leprosy, acute flaccid paralysis and virus isolation data (including influenza). We will report to the WHO incidents involving infectious disease outbreaks which may have global public health significance.
Locally, we have in place a statutory notification system for 27 infectious diseases. The Department of Health also operates a comprehensive disease surveillance system comprising hospitals, clinics and laboratories.
In addition, Hong Kong also maintains close contact with the Ministry of Health in Beijing. The Health, Welfare and Food Bureau, the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority may contact with officers in the Ministry of Health through meetings and exchanges to discuss a wide range of public health issues which are of interest to both sides. These include the control of communicable and non-communicable diseases, health promotion, healthcare management practices, the development of traditional Chinese medicine, etc. Contacts are also made, wherever necessary, at the provincial level. There is regular exchange of information between Hong Kong Department of Health and Guangdong Province on specific communicable diseases such as cholera, viral hepatitis, malaria and HIV/AIDS. In the event of an outbreak of disease in the Mainland, we will also contact the Mainland health authorities immediately through various means to obtain the latest information.
Details of meetings between Hong Kong and Guangdong health sector in the past three years in respect of matters relating to medical and health services are listed in Annex.
(b) We have established channels of communication between the Department of Health in Hong Kong and the health authorities in the Mainland. For outbreaks of diseases which are of public health importance, immediate contacts will be made through the established channels. In the light of recent developments, we shall review our communication channels to ensure even closer collaboration with the Mainland authorities for timely exchange of information on public health issues.
End/Wednesday, March 5, 2003
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