HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 18 January 1989
香港立法局 一九八九年一月十八日
49
MR. MCGREGOR: Sir, can the Secretary confirm that the containers used for the different types of gas themselves are totally different in character? In other words, that the colour, shape, or dimensions of these containers are quite different, quite apart from the connecting threads being different; that there is a very clear identification of the different kinds of containers delivered to the same hospital.
SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE: Sir, I can confirm that the containers are quite differently labelled when they contain different gases.
MR. MCGREGOR: Sir, with respect, I do not mean the labelling. I mean the container itself. Are the containers so similar, or identical that the misplacement of a label could cause a problem such as this, or are the containers themselves so different in character as to be easily identifiable as containing one gas or another?
SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE: Sir, I will have to provide a written reply. (Annex X)
MR. EDWARD HO: Sir, will the Secretary inform this Council how soon after occurrence of the problem, that is, oxygen tanks found to contain nitrogen during an operation, did the Medical and Health Department first hear of it and whether the department immediately notified all other public and private hospitals to prevent further mishaps? If yes, how long after the incident did it take to do so?
SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE: Sir, I believe that the Director of Medical and Health Services was notified some time on Saturday 14 January of the accident and that the department then took steps to telephone the subvented and private hospitals to ask them to take precautionary measures and of course at the same time the government hospitals were also alerted. But I do not know exactly how long this action took, Sir.
MISS LEUNG: Sir, as a follow-up to the Secretary's reply to an earlier supplementary, will the Secretary please inform this Council, first, how frequently the Medical and Health Department carries out checks in subvented and private hospitals to ensure that the registration requirements are fulfilled, and second, are these requirements under constant review?
SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE: Sir, the Medical and Health Department does not carry out, as far as I know, regular checks on subvented or