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MR. RONNIE WONG MAN-CHIU (in Cantonese): In relation to medical wastes, the relevant authorities do have their guidelines. For instance, if medical wastes are not risky or of no risk, they will be put in special plastic bags and be disposed of by our refuse collectors. And for those that are of high risks, special containers will be used for disposal and some will be sent to the incinerator. As for Mr. MAN's proposal of having an inter-departmental working group to follow it up, I think this is a good suggestion and I will ask the Department to see what can be done.
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YEUK-SUT (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, concerning my first supplementary question, I am not really satisfied with the answer. Since the surgical knives are unused and are not waste, where do they come from? They were unused and appeared at our beaches, so we need to identify the source. And of course it is not our responsibility to investigate and find out, but if they do appear at our beaches, it might create fear and panic to our beach goers. In relation to Rocky Beach in Shek O, though it is not a gazetted beach, do we clean up or patrol the beach regularly? And if it is done, how regularly is that done?
My third supplementary question is: probably it is not the responsibility of the Recreation Select Committee in refuse collection, do we offer categorization and classification of medical waste for medical suppliers or clinics?
CHAIRMAN (in English): May be before Mr. Ronnie WONG, the Chairman of the Recreation Select Committee answer these three supplementary questions, may I brief the background of the collection of domestic wastes by the Urban Council/Urban Services Department. We are the collection authority of the domestic wastes from urban area and disposal authority will be the Environmental Protection Department. I think this question should be more properly addressed to the Public Health Select Committee and may be these questions can be raised as AOB in the PH Select Committee Meetings. But Mr. Ronnie WONG, would you care to just make a few casual comments? But I think detailed answer should be supplied by the Public Health Select Committee.
MR. RONNIE WONG MAN-CHIU (in Cantonese): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As Mr. Chairman has said, some of the questions raised by Mr. Joseph CHAN should be more properly answered by the Chairman of the Public Health Select Committee. I agree with Mr. CHAN's first question. The appearance of unused surgical knives at our beaches is really a serious problem. We have actually attached great importance to it. And we have informed all our staff that this should be removed as soon as they are spotted. As regards the source, we have been liaising with various departments with a view to identifying it.
MR. SAN STEPHEN WONG HON-CHING (in Cantonese): As a lot of medical wastes were found in public beaches, this is a threat to many of our beach goers. I have a question here for the Chairman of the Public Health Select Committee—in future can we have more publicity and education for various medical institutes as well as those engaged in medical field so that they will segregate various medical wastes which can be prevented from drifting in the sea. Can we have some information from the Chairman of Public Health Select Committee?
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PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, I have to apologise for being late for 7 minutes because of the traffic jam.
About the contamination of beaches by medical wastes, the Department has contacted me in this aspect whether this should be best replied by the Public Health Select Committee or the Recreation Select Committee. I felt that the question was raised in the area of beach pollution, so it was suggested that we could first discuss the matter in the area of beach pollution first. I think this is correct to a certain extent because contamination of beaches can involve waste, garbage and this time medical wastes are involved. So there is an emphasis on public health. In fact, no matter it be knives, cotton wools or medical wastes, they are wastes. They are part of the pollutants of beaches. As the present responsibility of the Public Health Select Committee, I support that we should step up education because why is it that this waste should go all the way from hospital to the beaches. People will very easily link the medical wastes with Queen Mary Hospital because they were found in Telegraph Bay. Dealing with the medical waste was of course a technical problem. I think we should hand it back to relevant departments which are involved in the disposal of medical wastes and the drainage system as well as the water flow of beaches. As regards health education, this is also within the purview of hospitals. Of course, we can increase education in this regard. This is my preliminary understanding. I have a preliminary discussion with the Department. We need to gather some specific information before this problem can be satisfactorily settled. How far should the management of hospitals and the management of public health bear the responsibility of beach pollution? I think we have to look at the problem realistically. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
MR. PAUL YOUNG TZE-KONG (in English): Mr. Chairman, in this connection, few months ago, I have already raised the problem in terms of the control over the private collectors of garbage because this is one of the processes through which all these garbages are disposed of. May be if not through our own collection, it is through the private collectors and I do hope that the Chairman of the Public Health will press the Department to look into this question more urgently as to who has the jurisdiction of monitoring or controlling the type of disposal and hygiene of all these things?
CHAIRMAN (in English): Is this a suggestion rather than a question?
MR. PAUL YOUNG TZE-KONG (in English): No, I am just still waiting to see whether the Chairman has pressed the Department to have an answer or paper on this matter? Have we got anything yet?
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MR. RONNIE WONG MAN-CHIU (in Cantonese): In relation to medical wastes, the relevant authorities do have their guidelines. For instance, if medical wastes are not risky or of no risk, they will be put in special plastic bags and be disposed of by our refuse collectors. And for those that are of high risks, special containers will be used for disposal and some will be sent to the incinerator. As for Mr. MAN's proposal of having an inter-departmental working group to follow it up, I think this is a good suggestion and I will ask the Department to see what can be done.
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YEUK-SUT (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, concerning my first supplementary question, I am not really satisfied with the answer. Since the surgical knives are unused and are not waste, where do they come from? They were unused and appeared at our beaches, so we need to identify the source. And of course it is not our responsibility to investigate and find out, but if they do appear at our beaches, it might create fear and panic to our beach goers. In relation to Rocky Beach in Shek O, though it is not a gazetted beach, do we clean up or patrol the beach regularly? And if it is done, how regularly is that done?
My third supplementary question is: probably it is not the responsibility of the Recreation Select Committee in refuse collection, do we offer categorization and classification of medical waste for medical suppliers or clinics?
CHAIRMAN (in English):-May be before Mr. Ronnie WONG, the Chairman of the Recreation Select Committee answer these three supplementary questions, may I brief the background of the collection of domestic wastes by the Urban Council/Urban Services Department. We are the collection authority of the domestic wastes from urban area and disposal authority will be the Environmental Protection Department. I think this question should be more properly addressed to the Public Health Select Committee and may be these questions can be raised as AOB in the PH Select Committee Meetings. But Mr. Ronnie WONG, would you care to just make a few casual comments? But I think detailed answer should be supplied by the Public Health Select Committee.
MR. RONNIE WONG MAN-CHIU (in Cantonese):—Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As Mr. Chairman has said, some of the questions raised by Mr. Joseph CHAN should be more properly answered by the Chairman of the Public Health Select Committee. I agree with Mr. CHAN's first question. The appearance of unused surgical knives at our beaches is really a serious problem. We have actually attached great importance to it. And we have informed all our staff that this should be removed as soon as they are spotted. As regards the source, we have been liaising with various departments with a view to identifying it.
I
MR. SAN STEPHEN WONG HON-CHING (in Cantonese):—As a lot of medical wastes were found in public beaches, this is a threat to many of our beach goers. have a question here for the Chairman of the Public Health Select Committee—in
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future can we have more publicity and education for various medical institutes as well as those engaged in medical field so that they will segregate various medical wastes which can be prevented from drifting in the sea. Can we have some information from the Chairman of Public Health Select Committee?
PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, I have to apologise for being late for 7 minutes because of the traffic jam.
About the contamination of beaches by medical wastes, the Department has contacted me in this aspect whether this should be best replied by the Public Health Select Committee or the Recreation Select Committee. I felt that the question was raised in the area of beach pollution, so it was suggested that we could first discuss the matter in the area of beach pollution first. I think this is correct to a certain extent because contamination of beaches can involve waste, garbage and this time medical wastes are involved. So there is an emphasis on public health. In fact, no matter it be knives, cotton wools or medical wastes, they are wastes. They are part of the pollutants of beaches. As the present responsibility of the Public Health Select Committee, I support that we should step up education because why is it that this waste should go all the way from hospital to the beaches. People will very easily link the medical wastes with Queen Mary Hospital because they were found in Telegraph Bay. Dealing with the medical waste was of course a technical problem. I think we should hand it back to relevant departments which are involved in the disposal of medical wastes and the drainage system as well as the water flow of beaches. As regards health education, this is also within the purview of hospitals. Of course, we can increase education in this regard. This is my preliminary understanding. I have a preliminary discussion with the Department. We need to gather some specific information before this problem can be satisfactorily settled. How far should the management of hospitals and the management of public health bear the responsibility of beach pollution? I think we have to look at the problem realistically. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
MR. PAUL YOUNG TZE-KONG (in English):-Mr. Chairman, in this connection, few months ago, I have already raised the problem in terms of the control over the private collectors of garbage because this is one of the processes through which all these garbages are disposed of. May be if not through our own collection, it is through the private collectors and I do hope that the Chairman of the Public Health will press the Department to look into this question more urgently as to who has the jurisdiction of monitoring or controlling the type of disposal and hygiene of all these things?
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Is this a suggestion rather than a question?
MR. PAUL YOUNG TZE-KONG (in English):—No, I am just still waiting to see whether the Chairman has pressed the Department to have an answer or paper on this matter? Have we got anything yet?
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