HONG KONG: THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCE NEW STANDARDISED QUICK TEST KITS FOR THE SARS VIRUS.
Record ID:
584806
HONG KONG: THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCE NEW STANDARDISED QUICK TEST KITS FOR THE SARS VIRUS.
- Title: HONG KONG: THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCE NEW STANDARDISED QUICK TEST KITS FOR THE SARS VIRUS.
- Date: 10th September 2003
- Summary: (W3) HONG KONG, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 18, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. MLV: REPORTERS WAITING OUTSIDE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. 0.05 2. CU: SIGN OF HEALTH DEPARTMENT. 0.10 3. SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) DR PING-YAN LAM DIRECTOR OF HEALTH SAYING: "We are pleased to be able to provide a public health laboratory, consultation service free of charge to private hospitals. That is doing a quick test, PCR test for private hospitals free of charge. And we will also provide public health consultation to hospitals." 0.30 4. MV: REPORTERS TAKING NOTES. 0.34 5. SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) DR. LAM SAYING: "A doctor requesting a quick test, PCR test for a patient will have to fill in some pre-design forms in our laboratory. Then they have to dispatch this form together with clinical specimen to our laboratory. Then our consultant or senior medical micro-biologist will be screening this request form and advise on what is the most suitable test that should be done. And we will be offering this service to private hospitals free of charge until the technology for a quick test is fully mastered by the private laboratories." 1.11 6. MV: DR ALAN LAU SPEAKING TO REPORTERS. 1.17 7. SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) DR ALAN LAU HONG KONG PRIVATE HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION SPOKESMAN SAYING: "Tonight, after consultation with 12 hospitals, everyone was there, Department of Health was there, Hospital Authority were there, and with our legislator. And so, everything is being settled, this is a unanimous voice and we are very glad that we have the help of the government of providing better service for all the people in Hong Kong whether they can afford it to have it done in private hospital or those that go for public services." 1.47 (W3) HONG KONG, CHINA (RECENT) (REUTERS) 8. VARIOUS: OF LABORATORY TECHNICIANS DOING SARS TEST. (4 SHOTS) 2.15 (W3) HONG KONG, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 19, 2003) (REUTERS) 9. MV: ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY SIGN OUTSIDE HOSPITAL. 2.20 10. TRACK: OF PEOPLE WEARING MASKS OUTSIDE ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY WARD. 2.25 11. CU: SOUNDBITE (Cantonese) MS LAI RETIREE SAYING: "There are always rumours about the test results, I think if the test is centralised by the government, it could avoid panic." 2.14 12. SCU: LAI TALKING TO REPORTER. 2.44 13. SCU: SOUNDBITE (Cantonese) SARAH LEE, HOUSEWIFE, SAYING: "I am really afraid because I have to go to the hospital for treatments quite often. I also worry that I could bring virus back home and infect other family members." 2.56 14. SCU: LEE TAKING TO REPORTER AND PUTTING ON A SURGICAL MASK. 3.03 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 25th September 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: HONG KONG, CHINA
- Country: Hong Kong
- Reuters ID: LVA1UCPH91FVZ0DMA2E3WVHUDUOA
- Story Text: The Hong Kong health department has announced new
standardised SARS quick test kits.
False alarm SARS scares in Hong Kong this week put
its healthcare system back in the firing line.
Medical experts say that Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome, which killed almost 300 people in Hong Kong and
about 350 on the mainland, could re-emerge during the
winter months.
In preparation for a possible re-emergence of the
virus, Hong Kong's health director announced the launch of
a new quick SARS test kit.
"We are pleased to be able to provide a public health
laboratory, consultation service free of charge to private
hospitals. That is doing a quick test, PCR test for private
hospitals free of charge. And we will also provide public
health consultation to hospitals," said Dr. Ping Yan Lam.
The new SARS test will be conducted by the government
free of charge for private hospitals.
"A doctor requesting a quick test, PCR test for a
patient will have to fill in some pre-design forms in our
laboratory. Then they have to dispatch this form together
with clinical specimen to our laboratory. Then our
consultant or senior medical micro-biologist will be
screening this request form and advise on what is the most
suitable test that should be done. And we will be offering
this service to private hospitals free of charge until the
technology for a quick test is fully mastered by the
private laboratories."
Though this new contingency plan will help expedite and
centralise the test process, medical experts feel it will
not make Hong Kong ready for a massive outbreak.
"Tonight, after consultation with 12 hospitals,
everyone was there, Department of Health was there,
Hospital Authority were there, and with our legislator. And
so, everything is being settled, this is a unanimous voice
and we are very glad that we have the help of the
government of providing better service for all the people
in Hong Kong whether they can afford it to have it done in
private hospital or those that go for public services,"
said Dr. Alan Lau, spokesman for the Hong Kong Private
Hospital Association.
The Hong Kong authorities are on red alert to prevent a
repeat of this year's mass outbreak of SARS, which first
surfaced in Guangdong and went on to kill more than 800
people globally.
Panic spread across the city this week when a
34-year-old woman and seven inmates at a mental hospital
were isolated in separate incidents for fever and breathing
problems -- some of the most classic symptoms of SARS.
Though false alarms, they highlighted sharp
deficiencies in how medical staff handled suspect SARS
cases and the lack of any information sharing between
private and public health agencies.
In the woman's case, a private laboratory found the
virus in the woman's stools. But two later tests at
government labs using samples from the woman's
nasal-pharyngeal passage -- which experts regard as a more
reliable guide -- turned up negative.
The incident quickly triggered calls from the medical
community for guidelines on SARS tests and a standardised
test kit. The government finally agreed to provide its SARS
test kits to private hospitals for free, and promised
guidance on test procedures.
Hong Kong residents are upbeat about the new quick SARS
test kit.
"There are always rumours about the test results, I
think if the test is centralised by the government, it
could avoid panic," said Ms Lai.
"I am really afraid because I have to go to the
hospital for treatments quite often. I also worry that I
could bring virus back home and infect other family
members," housewife, Sarah Lee, said.
The Hong Kong government says it will give free flu
vaccines to the old and those with long-term illnesses to
pre-empt a possible overload on the healthcare system this
winter.
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