Panellists defend their autonomy
Members of the expert panel insisted they acted independently of the government and all other special interests, although their report did not apportion blame for errors made in handling the outbreak.
Co-chairman Sir Cyril Chantler said: 'Each and every member of this committee believes that they are independent. I personally can see no reason why I and other members should not be regarded as independent .... Our integrity matters to us.'
Tim Pang Hung-cheong, of the Patients' Rights Association, renewed his criticism of the government-appointed panel for lacking independence. 'We need to have a completely independent body which is seen to be neutral and unbiased,' he said.
But Joseph Lee Kok-lung, chairman of the Association of Hong Kong Nursing staff, said: 'The team members are independent and reputable in the medical sectors. So I believe their findings and recommendations are credible.'
Sir Cyril said he could understand 'the need for justice' among people who lost loved ones in the outbreak.
'But justice is not served by blame .... Justice is also served by ensuring that, if and when another epidemic occurs, the system is in place to deal with it as well as possible,' he said.
Joseph Sung Jao-yiu, of the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics at Chinese University, said: 'Even if heads were to roll ... how can it help Hong Kong?'
