The health sector next month in Hong Kong strain of avian flu situation drills

LONDON, according to Hong Kong's "Ming Pao Daily News" reported that to combat avian flu outbreak, the Hong Kong Center for Health Protection will be held in January next year's annual large-scale exercises to drill once the large-scale infectious disease outbreak in Hong Kong, the various departments of the contingency situation. Happens in Hong Kong East Asian Games will be held next year, it will tie in with the Center for Health Protection, held exercises for Health Protection.

Center for Health Protection Emergency Response and Information Branch Director Dr. Chung said that since 2003, after SARS, the SAR Government is aware of infectious disease outbreaks, the need to coordinate the different departments of emergency, it set up the Emergency Response and Information Branch, and in accordance with the relevant units established an infectious disease outbreak contingency level, is divided into the alert, serious, emergency levels, "If the avian flu into a human to human, or the WHO declared the outbreak of an influenza pandemic, some people in Hong Kong illness or death, it will go to the emergency level" .

Chung said that in the alert or serious level, the command responsibility will be handed over to the CHP or Guardian Council is responsible for food, but the "emergency" situation, it will by the Chief Executive, together with all principal officials of the command. He was referring to, once issued an emergency level, the Emergency Response and Information Branch will be responsible for answering inquiries, such as dissemination of information, the center will have special staff to call the SAR government departments to collect data, enter the central system, after finishing stands ready to provide information to the needs of sector, "If we have the electronic maps, can show the population distribution of each street, building to sit to help the police, the evacuation of the public schools, hospitals may also be diverting patients to find the source of the disease."
Every year, the centers will now hold a major exercise is a more permanent Superintendent, a Chief Inspector to co-ordinate each exercise. Chung said that in January next year, the Center will hold an inter-departmental exercise, and the forthcoming East Asian Games held in Hong Kong, they will tie in with the exercises, such as in the Olympic Equestrian Events in Hong Kong during the holding of the exercise, assuming that there are infectious diseases occurred in the Olympic Village.