182 Health
Health Regulations
Port Health Office
The Port Health Office of the Department of Health enforces measures stipulated by the Quarantine and Prevention of Disease Ordinance and the International Health. Regulations to prevent the introduction of quarantinable diseases and other serious infectious diseases into Hong Kong via air, land or sea immigration control points.
Since there was no indication that Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome would re-emerge in the near future, health screening measures at land and sea immigration control points were reduced in mid-2004 while temperature screening for incoming travellers was maintained at the Hong Kong International Airport. However, temperature screening of travellers arriving in Hong Kong at various immigration control points have been re-activated in phases since mid-November 2005 as a precautionary measure to reduce the risk of spread of avian influenza into Hong Kong following reports of human cases of the disease on the Mainland.
The Port Health Office also operates a Travel Health Service which offers a comprehensive range of services such as medical consultation, vaccination, prophylactic medications and health education to members of the public who intend to travel abroad. The office also collaborates with the travel industry and disseminates travel health information via health exhibitions and a (www.travelhealth.gov.hk).
Radiation Health Unit
website
The Radiation Health Unit of the Department of Health is the Government's adviser on radiation safety and protection. It advises the Government on the health effects of radiation fields and protection of public health in areas such as nuclear incidents and management of radioactive materials and waste. It also serves as the executive arm of the Radiation Board, which is the statutory authority set up under the Radiation Ordinance to control the import, export, possession and use of radioactive substances and irradiating apparatus. It safeguards public health against ionising radiation through licensing control and inspection of premises where radioactive substances or irradiating apparatuses are present. It also carries out radiation monitoring for occupationally exposed persons, maintains the radiation dosimetry metrology standards for the environmental level and occupational protection level radiation dosimetry measurements of Hong Kong, and provides the related standard calibration services.
In 2005, the unit assessed and issued 8 987 licences and permits and provided radiation monitoring for 8 647 occupationally exposed people. The average radiation exposure of the occupationally exposed people was 0.08 mSv against an annual statutory limit of 20 mSv.
Chinese Medicine
The Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong is responsible for devising and implementing regulatory measures for Chinese medicine.