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mean those members of the public who occupy bed spaces, cubicles or indeed even flats, or those members of the public who are in the fortunate position of occupying the whole house?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-Certainly, it applies more to the latter, Sir, but breeding can take place in tenement houses, for example, in fish tanks, in flower pots, etc.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, I notice that the question says what additional measures are being taken. Are these measures additional or are they usual measures?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-They are additional to routine measures. The question asks if anything more is being done during the warmer months.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, in regard to the last sentence of the reply by the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services, does he imply that the Department may or will take action against any person who reports that there is mosquito infestation anywhere adjacent to his premises?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-What I actually implied was that people do complain of a mosquito nuisance when in fact they themselves are responsible for it.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Does the Department take action against any resident who reports that there is a mosquito nuisance and then it is subsequently found by the Department that there is breeding actually in the premises of the informant?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-Yes, that has been done.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Is that not a strong deterrent to people wanting to report to the Department that there is mosquito breeding in their surroundings?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-I do not think that action would be taken on the first occasion.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, this thing can happen from year to year and the poor resident does not know that there is mosquito breeding in his own premises, as he is not an expert in this matter. Can I have an assurance, Mr. Chairman, that the Department will be reasonable in its approach to the people who report that there is mosquito breeding?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-Certainly, Sir.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Thank you.
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MR. LO:-Mr. Chairman, am I correct in saying that last year the Department went to the extent of organizing classes to teach the building contractors how to prevent mosquito breeding?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-That is correct, Sir.
MR. LO:-Is there any intention of carrying on the same classes this year?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-It has not been decided yet, but I will certainly look into it.
MR. LO:-Thank you. Mr. Chairman, during the 1963 water shortage a lot of containers and tanks were used for storing water and many of them are now left lying in yards and also on rooftops. May I ask our Vice-Chairman to tell the Inspectors to pay special attention to this matter when they make their house inspections?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-This is already being done, Sir, but I shall certainly draw their attention to it again.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, may I ask the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services if it is possible to do air-spraying, if air-spraying is effective, because there does seem to be a very great increase in mosquitoes?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-May I ask if you mean spraying from the air?
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Yes.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-This was considered some years ago and the expert advice we had then was that it would not be effective; Hong Kong is even more crowded since that time. I think over a highly-populated urban area it does not have the desired effect at ground level.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Thank you.
MR. BERNACCHI:-How then does the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services explain the very great effect of spraying from the air just after the War? When I first came to Hong Kong in December 1945, the mosquitoes were very bad; then there was spraying from the air and the mosquitoes disappeared overnight.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-Spraying from the air then, Sir, was with insecticide, to which the mosquitoes are now resistant.
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mean those members of the public who occupy bed spaces, cubicles or indeed even flats, or those members of the public who are in the fortunate position of occupying the whole house?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-Certainly, it applies more to the latter, Sir, but breeding can take place in tene- ment houses, for example, in fish tanks, in flower pots, etc.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, I notice that the question says what additional measures are being taken. Are these measures addi- tional or are they usual measures?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-They are additional to routine measures. The question asks if anything more is being done during the warmer months.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, in regard to the last sentence of the reply by the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services, does he imply that the Department may or will take action against any person who reports that there is mosquito infestation anywhere adjacent to his premises?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-What I actually implied was that people do complain of a mosquito nuisance when in fact they themselves are responsible for it.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Does the Department take action against any resident who reports that there is a mosquito nuisance and then it is subsequently found by the Department that there is breeding actually in the premises of the informant?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: -Yes, that has been done.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Is that not a strong deterrent to people want- ing to report to the Department that there is mosquito breeding in their surroundings?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-I do not think that action would be taken on the first occasion.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, this thing can happen from year to year and the poor resident does not know that there is mosquito breeding in his own premises, as he is not an expert in this matter. Can I have an assurance, Mr. Chairman, that the Department will be reasonable in its approach to the people who report that there is mosquito breeding?
Sir.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-Certainly,
Į
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Thank you.
575
MR. Lo:-Mr. Chairman, am I correct in saying that last year the Department went to the extent of organizing classes to teach the building contractors how to prevent mosquito breeding?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-That is correct, Sir.
MR. LO: Is there any intention of carrying on the same classes this year?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:--It has not been decided yet, but I will certainly look into it.
MR. LO:-Thank you. Mr. Chairman, during the 1963 water shortage a lot of containers and tanks were used for storing water and many of them are now left lying in yards and also on rooftops. May I ask our Vice-Chairman to tell the Inspectors to pay special attention to this matter when they make their house inspections?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:--This is already being done, Sir, but I shall certainly draw their attention to it again.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, may I ask the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services if it is possible to do air-spraying, if air-spraying is effective, because there does seem to be a very great increase in mosquitoes?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: -May I ask if you mean spraying from the air?
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Yes.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-This was considered some years ago and the expert advice we had then was that it would not be effective; Hong Kong is even more crowded since that time. I think over a highly-populated urban area it does not have the desired effect at ground level.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Thank you.
MR. BERNACCHI: How then does the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services explain the very great effect of spraying from the air just after the War? When I first came to Hong Kong in December 1945, the mosquitoes were very bad; then there was spraying from the air and the mosquitoes disappeared overnight.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-Spraying from the air then, Sir, was with insecticide, to which the mosquitoes are now resistent.
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