Press Releases
SHWF meets health ministers of Finland and Canada
The Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, met with the Minister of Health and Social Services of Finland, Ms Liisa Hyssala this afternoon (May 19 Geneva time).
Dr Yeoh informed Ms Hyssala that with a strategy centred on early detection, swift contact tracing, prompt isolation and quarantine, early treatment and effective containment, Hong Kong was able to reduce tremendously the daily reported cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) from 80 at the peak of the disease in early April to a single digit region since May 4.
He also briefed Ms Hyssala on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's effort to prevent exporting any SARS cases to the world.
"Apart from setting up medical posts at all border points to watch for travellers displaying symptoms of the disease, all incoming passengers have been required to complete a health declaration since mid-March.
"In mid-April, we also instituted temperature checks for all departing, arriving and transiting passengers at the airport. The temperature measure has since been extended to all border points by land, rail and sea," he said.
Ms Hyssala then briefed the Secretary on the objectives, organisational structure, functions and key activities of the National Public Health Institute of Finland, an organisation for disease control and prevention.
Noting that Hong Kong was planning to set up an organisation with functions similar to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States of America, Dr Yeoh said it was very helpful to listen to the experience of the Finnish Government in this area.
Earlier in the day, Dr Yeoh held discussion with Canadian Deputy Minister of Health, Mr Ian Green, on collaboration in research projects and shared experience in containing the spread of SARS.
Dr Yeoh will have dinner with the Swiss Confederation President Pascal Couchepin in Berne later today.
Dr Yeoh called on Chinese Vice-premier and Minister of Health Madam Wu Yi on his arrival in Geneva yesterday (May 18). They shared information on SARS cases and control measures in the Mainland and HKSAR.
He took the opportunity to express gratitude on behalf of the Hong Kong people for the Central Government's moral and material support for HKSAR's fight against SARS.
In the evening, Dr Yeoh hosted dinner for WHO's Executive Director of Communicable Diseases, Dr David Heymann and other WHO officials handling the SARS issue.
End/Monday, May 19, 2003
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