ENG-2003 — Page 222

HEALTH

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The Administration has taken active steps to move forward the Chief Executive's undertaking and the Expert Committee's recommendations. An advisory committee chaired by the Permanent Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food and comprising health care professionals in the public and private sectors and academics from four local universities was formed in November to help establish the CHP. The committee was tasked to advise on the organisational framework and functions of the CHP and to monitor the progress of its development.

Health Regulatory Activities

Port Health

The Port Health Office of the Department of Health enforces measures in the Quarantine and Prevention of Disease Ordinance and the International Health Regulations to prevent the introduction of quarantinable diseases into Hong Kong by air, land or sea. No cases of plague or yellow fever were reported during the year.

Responding to the SARS outbreak, the Port Health Office has strengthened the control and preventive measures at entry control points since March 2003. Travellers, both entering and leaving Hong Kong, are required to declare their health status and have their body temperature screened. During the year, over 68 million and 74 million travellers were screened by health declarations and body temperature checking, respectively.

Radiation Health

The Radiation Health Unit of the Department of Health is the Government's adviser on radiation safety and protection. It advises the Government on the protection of public health in the event of a nuclear incident, on the management of radioactive materials and wastes, and the effects on health of radiation exposure. The unit also serves as the executive arm of the Radiation Board, which is the statutory authority set up under the Radiation Ordinance, to control the import, export, sale, possession and use of radioactive substances and irradiating apparatus. It safeguards public health against ionising radiation through licensing control and inspection of premises where radioactive substances or irradiating apparatuses are present. In addition, the unit conducts radiation monitoring measurements for occupationally exposed persons and maintains the radiation dosimetry metrology standards for environmental and protection level radiation dosimetry measurements for Hong Kong.

In 2003, the unit assessed and issued 8 375 licences and permits and provided monitoring service to 8 353 occupationally exposed persons. The average radiation exposure of occupationally exposed persons was 0.07 mSv against an annual statutory limit of 20.

Chinese Medicine

The Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong, established in September 1999, is responsible for devising and implementing regulatory measures for Chinese medicine. Subsidiary legislation for the registration of Chinese medicine practitioners was enacted in June 2000. In 2003, the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong conducted the Registration Assessment and the first Licensing Examination. By year- end, 4738 and 3 227 Chinese medicine practitioners were registered and listed, respectively, with the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong.