Press Releases
SFH on mental health services and medical products recall
Following is the transcript of remarks (English portion) by the Secretary
for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, after attending the opening ceremony of
Hospital Authority Convention 2010 today (May 10):
Reporter: (on mental health services)
Secretary for Food and Health: The policy of mental health has already been
undergoing continuous review over the last few years. The Government has
also increased resources to this particular service. If I remember
correctly, last year we have increased $30 million. And this year we will be
increasing about $100 million in various sectors, particularly in the
community service, both increasing doctors, mental health nurses as well as
social workers. The important element is how to coordinate the various
services, both from the hospitals and the mental health clinics, all the way
to the social workers, the non-government organisations and so on in the
community. Another area to consider is how we can support the family members
as well as the community, be the residents or the neighbours in case they
discover somebody who is out of mind in term of their behaviour, whether
some of our social workers or our professionals can intervene them as early
as possible.
Reporter: (on Quality Pharmaceutical Laboratory Ltd)
Secretary for Food and Health: As far as I know, the Department of Health
has already suspended the operation of this particular company, asked them
to provide the documentations and all the details of how they manufacture
the drugs so that they can follow up. We will not allow any of the products
to be sold or being utilised in the market right now.
Reporter: (on drugs for Age-related Macular Degeneration)
Secretary for Food and Health: As far as I know, according to the
ophthalmologist that I have enquired, this is basically the same drug that
is under two particular brand names. One is being patented for the treatment
of cancer and the other one is patented for treatment of a macular disease.
In fact, they are the same drug. In many other foreign countries and
research centres, these drugs are being used for the same disease. According
to the existing arrangement, if any of the drugs, that I have so-called off
labeled, they need to have some supervision and that is the reason why the
Hospital Authority now wants to coordinate a research project with the
universities to ensure that it will apply Avastin to patients with Wet
Aged-related Macular Degeneration under the proper supervision and also with
full knowledge of the patients.
(Please also refer to the
Chinese portion of the transcript)
Ends/Monday, May 10, 2010
Issued at HKT 13:42
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