Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ7: Isolation facilities for infectious diseases

Following is a question by the Dr Hon David Chu and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, in the Legislative Council today (December 3):

Question :

Regarding the provision of isolation facilities for infectious diseases in private sector institutions, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the reasons for giving funding support for installing additional isolation facilities in subvented residential care homes for the elderly only, but not all such homes; and

(b) whether it has assessed if various private hospitals have installed adequate isolation facilities; if so, of the details of the assessment?

Reply:

(a) In line with the recommendations in the Report of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Expert Committee issued in October 2003, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) has obtained a grant of $20.1 million from the Lotteries Fund to assist residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) as well as residential care homes for persons with disabilities (RCHDs) to improve their infection control facilities. All RCHEs in Hong Kong, including 103 subvented and 639 non-subvented RCHEs; the latter comprising 599 private RCHEs, 34 self-financing RCHEs and six contract RCHEs can apply for the one-off subsidy. The subsidy is provided on a reimbursement basis and will cover basic material and installation cost of a prescribed set of building/building services installation fittings/items covering toileting/bathing facilities, partitions, exhaust fan and emergency call bell. SWD issued letters to all RCHEs and RCHDs in mid-November to invite applications. The improvement works have to be completed within three months as from November 17, 2003, the commencement date of the scheme.

(b) Private hospitals and nursing homes have already made appropriate arrangements for isolation facilities and providing nursing care.

The Department of Health has conducted inspection on 12 private hospitals from September to November 2003 and examined their isolation facilities for managing infectious diseases. Depending on the practical situation of individual hospitals, arrangements such as renovating a whole wing with automatic doors and negative pressure rooms, or designating a floor to house patients with fever of unknown origin, or assigning some rooms as isolation rooms with exhaust fans or stand-alone room coolers have been made in these hospitals. In addition, all private hospitals have implemented appropriate infection control measures, such as adopting standard precautions and limiting the number of visitors, to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Private hospitals have also set out the policy to transfer SARS patients to public hospitals for further treatment.

Ends/Wednesday, December 3, 2003
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