The Hospital Authority will set up hotlines for frontline medical staff and nurses to express their views and grievances, its director Dr Ko Wing-man said.

He believed better communication will be conducive to the virus battle. Audit teams will also be sent to hospitals to see if there is room for further improvement in their operation.

Speaking in the Legislative Council's Health Services Panel meeting this morning, Dr Ko stressed that the authority has placed great emphasis on infection control.

The authority has also conducted case reviews and found that the hospital environment, facilities and staff's adherence to guidelines may play a role in spreading the disease to medical workers. 

To this end, the authority has instituted a number of measures. They include implementing high-risk precautions, enhanced staff training, and infection-control  surveys at hospitals on a daily basis.

With the assistance of the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department and Environmental Protection Department, the authority is exploring improvements to air-conditioning facilities in hospitals to enhance ventilation.

Dr Ko also revealed that the authority will invite two mainland doctors practicing Chinese medicine to come to Hong Kong to share experience with local doctors on treating infected patients.

Deputy Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Thomas Yiu also spoke at the meeting. He said the Government has stepped up measures to prevent the aged from contracting the disease.

On reports that hotels in Shanghai and Hainan have implemented quarantine measures for people coming from atypical pneumonia-infected areas, Deputy Director of Health Dr Leung Pak-yin said the Government has yet to receive any formal notification from Mainland authorities.

Nevertheless, the Government will seek clarifications on this as soon as possible, he added.