TNAG-1362-FCO40-1808-Hong-Kong-Hansard-reports-and-minutes-of-the-meetings-of-the-1985 — Page 150

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r. Ip : Sir, how do Government define the phrase "an outbreak of

infection" in hospital wards; for example, would an outbreak of

infection be considered to have occurred when two persons in a ward

were cross-infected with the same bacteria ?

Director of Medical and Health Services :

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Sir, the word "outbreak"

is subject to a wide spectrum of interpretation. To some people even

one case is an outbreak; to others it may well run to tens or thousands.

I would define it thus : if for a long time there were no cases and

suddenly there were one or two cases then that is an outbreak.

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Dr. Ip : Based on the definition by the Director of Medical and

Health Services, how many outbreaks of infection occurred in government,

government subvented and private hospitals respectively last year?

I'm afraid I haven't

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sir,

Director of Medical and Health Services :

got the exact figures but so far as I'm aware there have been some

outbreak but in a rather isolated fashion.

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