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Thursday, March 14, 1974
TWO NEW NOTIFIABLE DISEASES
Dr. the Hon. Gerald Choa, Director of Medical and Health
Services, told the Legislative Council today it was proposed to add two
new diseases to the schedule of notifiable diseases.
Moving the second reading of the Quarantine and Prevention of Disease (Amendment) Bill 1974, he said the two diseases were viral
hepatitis and food poisoning (excluding dysentery and enteric fever).
He explained that both diseases were at present only voluntarily notifiable in Hong Kong, but voluntary notifications were incomplete,
"On public health grounds, it is necessary to have a more
comprehensive picture of their incidence and to be able, as a result, to
take appropriate preventive measures," he said.
Accordingly, it was necessary to make these two diseases statutorily
notifiable so as to have a more complete picture concerning them.
Dr. Choa made it clear that the proposal had been discussed with
the Hong Kong Medical Association and the Hong Kong Branch of the British
Medical Association, and neither had objected. In addition, the terminology
describing the diseases had their agreement.
One clause of the bill seeks to extend the recovery of any reasonable
costs incurred by the government when implementing the bill's provisions
from the owners or agents of vessels, as at present, also to the owners or
agents of aircraft.
/Dr. Choa said
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