​The Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, held a meeting with the visiting Mainland medical and health experts at the Central Government Offices today (March 15), to exchange views on the key actions to be taken by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government based on the discussion and suggestions made in the past few weeks.
The Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Health), Mr Thomas Chan; the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam; and the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority (HA), Dr Tony Ko; and a number of health officials attended the meeting.
"I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Mainland expert delegation led by the Head of the National Health Commission's COVID-19 leading task force, Professor Liang Wannian, as well as the Mainland experts from the task force of epidemiologists and the Guangdong COVID-19 medical expert delegation for their invaluable advice and guidance offered during their stay in Hong Kong. These advice and guidance are crucial to the HKSAR Government in coping with the unprecedentedly severe epidemic situation that we are facing at the moment. The experts offered much constructive advice in relation to the anti-epidemic measures in Hong Kong, including the implementation of a triage system to prioritise treatment for COVID-19 patients, in particular for the elderly, according to their conditions. Also, the experts made use of data analysis to have a more thorough understanding on the actual work of Hong Kong in fighting the epidemic, hence conducted a more in-depth analysis and assessment of the epidemic and offered guidance," Professor Chan said.
"The HKSAR Government has promptly followed up on the recommendations offered by the Mainland experts, and is implementing a series of specific measures and follow-up actions. These include setting up more community isolation facilities and holding centres for the elderly as soon as possible, strengthening support for residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) and persons with disabilities, and enhancing support for the elderly infected with COVID-19 and have no symptom or mild symptoms, and are undergoing home isolation. In addition, we are setting up designated hospitals and mobilising private hospitals to join hands and fight the epidemic.
"Having 'reducing deaths, reducing severe cases, reducing infections' as the anti-epidemic strategy, the HKSAR Government is racing against time and sparing no effort in curbing this wave of the epidemic as soon as possible and safeguard citizens' lives."
During their stay in Hong Kong, the expert delegations met and conducted in-depth exchanges with officials from the Department of Health and the HA, the Government's anti-epidemic expert advisory group and a number of public health experts. They visited RCHEs, public hospitals, community isolation facilities and community testing centres, and inspected "restriction-testing declaration" operation, to get a better grasp of the various aspects of anti-epidemic work in Hong Kong, including the treatment and isolation of patients, testing, data analysis, and epidemic prevention arrangements in RCHEs, and offered advice and guidance on the epidemic containing strategies and measures in Hong Kong.
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