TNAG-1726-FCO40-2439-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 245

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Question No. 11

Measures to protect children with G6PD deficiency

WRITTEN REPLY BY THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH & WELFARE TO A QUESTION BY DR. THE HON. CHIU HIN KWONG IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON WEDNESDAY, 9 MARCH 1988

11. DR. CHIU asked:

Question

вс

12/μ

Given that some 4.5 per cent of local born male babies suffer from G6PD (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) deficiency which may last for life and that people with such deficiency when exposed to mothball (naphthalene) would suffer from haemolysis (destruction of blood cells), will Government inform this Council whether it is aware that a Form Science Workbook which is used by more than 20 schools makes reference to an experiment to investigate the melting point of naphthalene and that the Physics Syllabus of the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination includes study by Form and students of the cooling curve of naphthalene and, if so, what measures are being taken to protect students with G6PD deficiency from exposure to naphthalene?

SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE:

Sir,

naphthalene

The

Education Department is aware that exposure to

napthalene may cause haemolysis in children who suffer from a

G6PD deficiency.

I to π

Consequently, the Science Syllabus for

Secondary (1-3 has recently been updated and experiments to

determine the melting point of a substance now use wax instead

naphthalene,

of napthale