XN000022-1993-02-10 — Page 9

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1993

BY

OUR STRATEGY CALLS FOR A BROAD-BASED MULTISECTORAL RESPONSE GOVERNMENT AND HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS, CHARITABLE AND VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE MEDIA AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR AS A WHOLE. IN OTHER WORDS, EVERYBODY IN HONG KONG. WE NEED TO CULTIVATE A SYMPATHETIC SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT WHICH IS VITAL TO THE EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF AIDS PREVENTION PROGRAMMES AND HUMANE CARE OF INDIVIDUALS. WE APPRECIATE THE CRITICAL ROLE OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN PROMOTING PREVENTION OF AIDS THROUGH SAFER SEXUAL PRACTICE AS WE SEE ALMOST EVERY NIGHT ON TELEVISION, IN PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE WITH HIV/AIDS AND IN COMBATING STIGMATISATION AND WE BELIEVE THAT HONG KONG COULD PLAY A LEADERSHIP

DISCRIMINATION.

ROLE IN THE COMBAT AGAINST AIDS IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD IF WE GET

UP, ACT TOGETHER AND ACT QUICKLY. IN THIS CONTEXT, I HAVE TAKEN

VERY CAREFUL NOTE OF MEMBERS' ADVICE AND YOUR VIEWS WHICH ARE VERY HELPFUL AND I WILL TAKE EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM INTO ACCOUNT IN FINALIZING OUR PLANS FOR FURTHER ACTION.

I ECHO MEMBERS' CONCERN FOR THE PLIGHT OF THE HAEMOPHILIACS WHO HAVE UNFORTUNATELY BEEN INFECTED BY HIV THROUGH BLOOD AND BLOOD PRODUCT TRANSFUSION PRIOR TO 1985. I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT то THE STATE OF MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE AT THAT TIME, BLOOD PRODUCTS USED PRIOR

TO 1985 WERE NOT TREATED AGAINST CONTAMINATION BY HIV ALTHOUGH THEY WERE STERILIZED IN ACCORDANCE WITH INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED STANDARD AT THAT TIME.

ALTHOUGH, AS A MATTER OF LAW, GOVERNMENT IS NOT LEGALLY LIABLE ΤΟ PAY COMPENSATION, WE IN THE GOVERNMENT, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY INCLUDED, WE

HAVE GREAT SYMPATHY FOR THESE HAEMOPHILIACS WHO HAVE TRAGICALLY BECOME INFECTED BY HIV THROUGH BLOOD AND BLOOD PRODUCT TRANSFUSION PRIOR TO 1985. I HAVE, LAST MONTH, APPOINTED A SPECIAL STUDY GROUP TO EXAMINE THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THEIR INFECTION AND ΤΟ RECOMMEND ANY SPECIAL CAUSE OF ACTION APPROPRIATE TO HONG KONG FOR THE ASSISTANCE OF THESE HIV INFECTED HAEMOPHILIACS. I WOULD REPORT THAT ACCORDING то THE INITIAL FINDINGS OF THE STUDY GROUP, THE BLOOD PRODUCTS USED SINCE 1986 HAVE BEEN FREE FROM HIV CONTAMINATION.

THIS RED RIBBON THAT SOME OF US IN THIS CHAMBER PROUDLY MUST ALSO, I AM SURE, TEACH US A CERTAIN DEGREE OF HUMANITY. IN MERE WORDS, ABOVE ALL, WE NEED TO DO MUCH MUCH MORE.

WEAR

THAT

LEVEL

AS A CARING AND COMPASSIONATE GOVERNMENT, WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO ASSIST THOSE IN NEED. A PACKAGE OF SPECIAL MEASURES IS BEING DEVELOPED. I LOOK TO MEMBERS FOR THEIR SUPPORT WHEN THE PROPOSALS ARE PUT TO THIS COUNCIL. I AM SURE THAT HONOURABLE MEMBERS WILL BE FORTHCOMING WITH THEIR SUPPORT IN FINANCE COMMITTEE IN DUE COURSE AS THEY ARE GENEROUS WITH THEIR SYMPATHY AND SUGGESTIONS TODAY. THANK YOU.

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