Battle plan: Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong is briefed on the design of isolation wards by the Architectural Services Department's David Tong.

Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong says he will ensure the public and anyone else concerned will receive a clear message of the totality and consistency of the Government's SARS response system.

Dr Yeoh reiterated that the Hospital Authority's three-colour response system is intended for internal communication and formed part of the Government's overall response system.

According to the authority's cohorting strategy for SARS patients, hospitals will be mobilised in stages to receive confirmed patients. The number of confirmed cases in any hospital cannot exceed 50 to avoid causing major disruption to existing services. The number can be lifted to 100 in a major outbreak.

Dr Yeoh said the Government has started discussing the communication channels with private medical practitioners, and how health authorities can collaborate with the private sector if SARS emerges again.

200 isolation beds set for Princess Margaret Hospital

Dr Yeoh said isolation facilities are well in place to treat SARS patients should the virus return.

Joined by legislators Lo Wing-lok and Michael Mak, Dr Yeoh visited the Princess Margaret Hospital today to inspect the first batch of 33 new isolation beds.

He said 900 purpose-built isolation beds will be completed by the end of next month, and 1,290 beds will be in place towards the end of this year.

"We believe this initial batch of isolation facilities will be sufficient to cope with the first wave of probable SARS cases should the virus come back," he said.

In designing the isolation facilities, reference has been made to international standards to ensure that appropriate infection control provisions are incorporated.

The isolation rooms will have the following features: negative pressure gradient in patient rooms, provision of 100% fresh air supply, dilution of bio-load in sufficient air change rates, and installation of high efficiency particulate air filters to filter out droplets and aerosols.

There will also be provision of en-suite toilet/shower facilities in ward cubicles, and infection control facilities for hospital staff, such as gowning/de-gowning areas, changing rooms, shower facilities and clinical wash-hand basins.

Princess Margaret, as Hong Kong's designated infectious disease centre, will be the first hospital to receive confirmed SARS patients if the epidemic returns. Some 200 beds will be completed for the hospital by year's end.

Improvement works are being carried out in nine public acute hospitals at a total cost of $409 million to enhance the infection control facilities in the public hospital system.

The authority will also carry out minor improvement works in the remaining five acute public hospitals to provide additional isolation facilities.

Dr Yeoh said that providing training programmes on infection control for hospital staff and making sure there will be a sufficient supply of protective gear are equally important in strengthening hospitals' ability to handle infectious diseases.

The authority has already held 1,800 classes on infection control for its staff.  It will continue with its training programme and endeavour to stock up sufficient protective gear to get prepared on all fronts.

Dr Yeoh called on the authority's staff to better equip themselves by actively taking part in these training courses and to engage in dialogue with the management to further improve hospital services.