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Hospital acquired infections suffered by patients
Following is a question by the Hon Cham Kam-lam and a reply by the Secretary for Health and Welfare, Mrs Katherine Fok, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
(Final Draft)
Question:
Reply:
Will the Government inform this Council:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Mr President,
of the number of patients and health care personnel who have become infected with pathogenic bacteria in public hospitals, Government clinics and private hospitals respectively in the past three years; and through what channels have they become so infected;
whether any patients have died of complications resulting from pathogen infection in the past three years;
whether the Government has drawn up any procedures governing the cleansing and sterilising of medical equipment frequently used by patients such as oxygen masks and ureters;
whether other measures will be adopted to reduce the chance of patients and health care personnel becoming infected with pathogenic bacteria; and
whether, in regard to hospitals and clinics which are situated in the neighbourhood of residential areas, the Government has adopted measures to prevent pathogenic bacteria spreading in the air so as to ensure that the health of the residents nearby will not be affected?
The vast majority of all hospital acquired infections are inflicted by organisms from the patients' own bacterial flora. The principal cause of these infections is the weak immune system of patients while undergoing medical treatment.