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As regards making the full facts of such closures known to the Council I would refer Members to a Committee Paper FFP/5/64 issued to the Food and Food Premises Select Committee on 20th May, 1964 concerning these two incidents. This paper set out the full position at that time and a copy of it has also been made available again to all Members present here to-day.
In view of the extremely interesting public health exercise carried out to investigate the outbreak connected with the Kowloon restaurant I propose to issue a special report at a later date for the information of Members.
MR. FUNG:- Mr. Chairman, through you, I wish to thank the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services for a very comprehensive reply. I did read the Committee Paper concerning the two incidents and I am rather relieved to know the small number actually involved, which is somewhat contrary to what I have heard outside. However, I feel that the Council's inspectorate were not instrumental in locating the sources of infection and probably, Mr. Chairman, you will agree that it does not reflect a high credit on them. I suggest that additional measures be introduced to improve their efficiency.
MR. BERNACCHI: Mr. Chairman, I must rise to congratulate the Vice-Chairman on his very frank answer to the question concerned. I support Mr. FUNG when he says that perhaps better co-ordination is called for between our health inspectorate and the Medical Department generally. Perhaps if we had a member on the Medical Advisory Board things would be different. (Laughter).
MR. SALES:- Mr. Chairman, following on Mr. BERNACCHI's suggestion, do I take it that the Elected Members agree that the Appointed Members will nominate a representative for the Urban Council on the Medical Advisory Board. We have an excellent man in view. (Laughter).
MR. WILFRED WONG: Mr. Chairman, may I ask a supplementary question of the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services as to whether he is aware that in the case of a recent food poisoning case, the report on it was only given to the members of the Food and Food Premises Select Committee after a period of six months?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:- I was not aware of that, Sir.
DR. LEE:- Mr. Chairman, may I, through you, put a question to the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services? To make it publicly known, how long does it take to sterilize a cholera carrier?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:- That is an entirely medical question, Sir. It varies in each case.
DR. LEE: In this group what is the average time for sterilizing?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:- I cannot give you the average time straight off, but I think six days is the usual maximum.
DR. WOO:- Mr. Chairman, in the first part of the reply, the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services mentioned a 24 hours closure of the restaurant. Is 24 hours sufficient in the case of a cholera outbreak?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:- It was in this case.
DR. WOO: Is it sufficient? 24 hours? Should it not be closed for more than...
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:- This was a voluntary closure, during which time the restaurant was disinfected.
DR. WOO:- And you allowed the restaurant to open next day?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:- Yes.
DR. WOO: What happened to the cholera carriers?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:- The carriers were removed for treatment.
DR. WOO:- They employed a new set of staff in the restaurant?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:- There was only one carrier amongst them.
MR. SALES:- Mr. Chairman, will you allow a member of this Council who has no aspirations to be a registered doctor to ask a supplementary question? To what extent was the relevant Select Committee consulted when these actions were taking place?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:- The Select Committee was not consulted at all, Sir.
MR. SALES: Is it established practice for the Urban Services Department to set aside article 55 of the Urban Council Ordinance whenever there is an emergency of this nature?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:- This is a matter purely for the Director of Medical and Health Services to decide. He had in fact consulted the Director of Urban Services and asked that it should be made known to the Council. In only one instance was an order involved, which was issued on 16th May. A paper was subsequently put out on 20th May for the information of the Select Committee members. One has to act quickly in these cases and powers...
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