Combating the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is the most
important task for the government of the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region for the time being, and the government is
making every effort to fight the disease, Chief Executive Tung Chee
Hwa said here Wednesday.
Speaking at a press conference on SARS, he said that any number of
SARS patients "is too high for us," and "it's always painful to see
someone dying (of SARS)."
According to him, the measures Hong Kong is adopting in this
direction include strengthening the prevention efforts to stop the
spread of the disease, reinforcing health checks across the border,
and striving for the better treatment results.
"We are working very, very hard," he said, adding that while at the
start of the outbreak of SARS, nothing is known about the new virus
in Hong Kong, a lot of experience and information have been
garnered on the disease for the past several weeks.
He
noted that of the total 1,200 SARS patients, the death rate stood
at 5 percent, with most of the deaths occurring when the patients
contracting other kinds of diseases in addition to SARS or already
seriously ill were hospitalized.
Tung said that he is "the most impatient" of all Hong Kong people
for more measures to bring the disease under control, but careful
consideration and consultation are needed before making any
decisions for the general interest of Hong Kong.
The chief executive expressed belief that Hong Kong's medical staff
will "gradually get on top of the disease."
Thirty six new patients with SARS were admitted to hospitals in
Hong Kong while 14 were released after being confirmed of recovery,
according to a statement jointly issued by the Department of Health
and the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong Wednesday.
So
far, a total of 257 patients have recovered from SARS and have been
discharged from public hospitals. Most of the patients currently in
hospital are showing positive responses to the new treatment
protocol.
The cumulative figure for patients who have been admitted to public
hospitals with SARS since March 12 is 1,268, and 61 of them
died.
(Xinhua News Agency April 16, 2003)
