XN000022-1984-09-19 — Page 2

WDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1984

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HONG KONG WINS BATTLE AGAINST DISEASES

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HONG KONG HAS EFFECTIVELY CURBED QUARANTINABLE DISEASES, THANKS TO THE VIGILANCE AND DEDICATION OF THE PORT HEALTH SERVICE.

WITH GROWING NUMBERS OF SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT CALLING AT HONG KONG, AND THE PREVALENCE OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN SOME NEARBY COUNTRIES, THE GOVERNMENT HAS PUT STRINGENT PREVENTIVE MEASURES HIGH ON ITS PRIORITY LIST.

AS THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENCE, THE PORT HEALTH SERVICE ENFORCES CONTROL IN HONG KONG'S WATERS AND AT KAI TAK AIRPORT TO PREVENT THE IMPORTATION OF QUARANTINABLE DISEASES.

+WITH THE ERADICATION OF SMALLPOX IN 1977, OUR PRIMARY CONCERN NOW IS TO ENSURE THAT PLAGUE, CHOLERA AND YELLOW FEVER CONTINUE TO STAY OUT, DR V.R. BHIMANI, CHIEF PORT HEALTH OFFICER, SAID.

STRICT HEALTH SURVEILLANCE IS KEPT ROUND THE CLOCK ON ALL INCOMING SHIPS AND AEROPLANES, AS WELL AS ON INCOMING PASSENGERS.

+SHIPS ARE NORMALLY CLEARED ON ARRIVAL AT EITHER THE WESTERN OR THE EASTERN QUARANTINE ANCHORAGE, WHILE LARGE PASSENGER VESSELS ARE PROCESSED ON THE WAY TO THEIR ALLOCATED BERTHS, HE SAID.

SHIPMASTERS MUST, FOR INSTANCE, SATISFY PORT HEALTH STAFF THAT SANITARY CONDITIONS ON BOARD ARE GUARANTEED.

IN 1983, A TOTAL OF 3 381 SHIPS WERE CLEARED BY PORT HEALTH OFFICERS. THIS REPRESENTED ONLY ONE THIRD OF THE SHIPS UNDER SCRUTINY.

+TO ENABLE EFFICIENT CLEARANCE IN TIME, VESSELS MAY, ON APPLICATION, OBTAIN ADVANCE HEALTH PRATIQUES BY RADIO SO THAT THEY CAN PROCEED TO THEIR BERTHS AND START LOADING AND UNLOADING AS SOON AS THEY ENTER THE HARBOUR, DR BHIMANI SAID.

A TOTAL OF 7 645 SUCH APPLICATIONS WERE GRANTED LAST YEAR.

AS RATS ARE THE MAIN CARRIERS OF PLAGUE, A DISEASE THAT HAS HAUNTED THE WORLD FOR SO LONG, EVERY EFFORT IS MADE TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ERADICATED FROM INCOMING SHIPS.

+SHIPMASTERS ARE REQUIRED TO KEEP A 'DERATTING' EXEMPTION CERTIFICATE WHICH IS VALID FOR SIX MONTHS AND MUST BE RENEWED AT A PORT OF CALL,+ HE SAID.

LAST YEAR THE PORT HEALTH SERVICE ISSUED 435 DERATTING EXEMPTION CERTIFICATES TO VISITING VESSELS.

/THE EFFICIENCY