TNAG-1725-FCO40-2438-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 113

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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 20 January 1988

being used by the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service to screen blood and blood products in order to ensure that they are safe for the purpose of transfusion?

SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE: Sir, the blood screening tests currently in use identify the presence of hepatitis B, syphilis and antibodies to the AIDS virus. Every unit of blood received by the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service is subject to such screening as a matter of standard practice. These screening tests are carried out as recommended by the International Society of Blood Transfusion, the League of Red Cross Societies and the World Health Organisation in order to ensure that blood and blood products are safe for the purposes of transfusion.

All locally produced blood products are made from blood which has been screened in this manner. Imported blood products are required to be registered under the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations before they can be sold in Hong Kong. Such registration is conditional upon similar types of screening and assurances of quality control by the appropriate authorities in the country of origin of the product.

DR. CHIU: Sir, will the Government inform this Council of the percentage of contaminated blood collected in the last 12 months and whether it will advise the Red Cross to make it a practice to issue referral notes to donors whose blood is rejected owing to certain diseases so that they can seek medical treatment right away?

SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE: Yes, Sir, I am told that during 1987, 155 000 units of blood were tested by the Blood Transfusion Service and hepatitis B was found to be present in 3.5 per cent of these and the figures for syphilis and AIDS were 0.05 per cent and 0.0013 per cent respectively. When a donor's blood is found to be infected in this way, the blood is discarded. The donor is told confidentially about what has been discovered and he is also offered medical advice and counselling and referred if he is willing to do so.

Daylight saving time

2. MR. EDWARD Ho asked: In view of the adoption of daylight saving time in many countries including the United Kingdom, USA and China, and recent calls by some members of the community in Hong Kong for the reintroduction of daylight saving time, will Government inform this Council whether it will consider adopting summer time in 1988?

CHIEF SECRETARY: Sir, the Government is at present making a preliminary assessment of public opinion on the introduction of daylight saving time by means of a telephone poll conducted by the CNTA. If it is decided to take the

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