Debut discussion: Trust Fund for SARS Committee members meet with Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong. From left: Director of Social Welfare Paul Tang, Iris Chan, Dr David Fang, Dr Yeoh, and Benedict Wong.

The $150 million Trust Fund for SARS will receive applications from November 13.

The Trust Fund for SARS Committee, chaired by Dr David Fang, held its first meeting this evening to discuss the application procedures and eligibility criteria.

The Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong said: "There are circumstances where the then existing channels of support cannot fully address their needs. The trust fund is to address this gap and serve as tide-over assistance to the eligible patients."

Special ex-gratia relief payments will be made to the families of SARS victims as follows:

* surviving spouse - $200,000;

* dependent child(ren) - $500,000 each for those under 18 and $300,000 each for those between 18 and 21 studying full-time;

* dependent parent(s) - $300,000 each; and,

* those not falling into the above category, but meeting certain criteria - $100,000 for each family.

Applications are subject to medical assessment and applications for monthly financial assistance are also subject to financial test.

The Social Welfare Department will contact the families of deceased patients for the completion of applications which will then be assessed and recommended to the committee for consideration.

For the recovered and suspected SARS patients, a three-step application procedure has been implemented:

(a) declaration of income loss or increased expenditure by an applicant;

(b) medical assessment by the Hospital Authority to identify/confirm any relevant dysfunction; and,

(c) financial assessment by the department to verify the financial needs and recommend the level of monthly financial assistance.

Application forms will be available from November 13 at the authority's post-SARS clinics and the department's Medical Social Services Units. They can also be downloaded from the websites of the department, the bureau, the authority and the Department of Health.