Transparent approach to reporting superbug cases
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 29 August, 2013, 12:00am
UPDATED : Thursday, 29 August, 2013, 3:19am
Regarding the report, "Doctor slams slow reaction to superbug outbreak" (August 26), I would like to assure your readers that public hospitals have a well-established reporting mechanism made specifically for vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) cases.
While it is true that statistics revealed a surge in the prevalence of VRE in public hospitals, this will by no means undermine the commitment nor the effectiveness of our infection control measures to cope with the increased workload.
We are also more determined than ever to solidify a transparent and accountable approach in regard to the reporting of VRE cases through the current protocol.
Let me explain our protocol. Should an outbreak be identified, a hospital outbreak control team meeting will be immediately held.
Colleagues from the Centre for Health Protection will join in to assist in reviewing the adequacy of infection control measures and identify any gap for improvement.
Hospitals should then proceed to delivering VRE isolates to the public health laboratory service branch of the centre for genotyping.
Statistics concerning the VRE isolates will be quickly made available to the public and updated monthly on the centre's website.
Keeping the public informed of hospital outbreak situations has always been and will definitely remain our priority. Since January, the Hospital Authority has issued close to 90 press releases in relation to VRE cases.
Among them, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Kowloon Central Cluster consisted of 16 such releases while other hospitals made up the remaining 72.
It should be noted that all cases in outbreaks of VRE have been made public information; none of them have remained unreleased.
Constant vigilance and persistent reminders, especially for our frontline colleagues, are reinforced. Our long-term goal is to tackle VRE head-on and the latest initiative is to start a screening for all inpatients in Queen Elizabeth Hospital which aims to fully unearth the scale of the issue and steer us towards a more mature control strategy.
Dr Dominic Tsang, chief infection control officer, Hospital Authority
This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Hospital Authority kept public informed about superbug
Most Popular
Viewed
- 1
![A young buyer looks over a possible purchase. Increasing numbers of grown up children above 18 years old are relying on handouts by their parents, even into their 30s, on everything from home purchase to everyday living costs. Photo: SCMP]( "A young buyer looks over a possible purchase. Increasing numbers of grown up children above 18 years old are relying on handouts by their parents, even into their 30s, on everything from home purchase to everyday living costs. Photo: SCMP")
- 2
![It does not seem like mere coincidence that large changes in China’s trajectory as a country coincide with strong leaders. Illustration: Craig Stephens]( "It does not seem like mere coincidence that large changes in China’s trajectory as a country coincide with strong leaders. Illustration: Craig Stephens")
- 3
![Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Robert Kaplan has warned of risks that the Treasury yield curve could become inverted. Photo: Reuters]( "Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Robert Kaplan has warned of risks that the Treasury yield curve could become inverted. Photo: Reuters")
- 4
![The sun set on the British Empire a long time ago, and critics now say the country has lost more of its lustre. Photo: AFP]( "The sun set on the British Empire a long time ago, and critics now say the country has lost more of its lustre. Photo: AFP")
- 5
![Storm clouds gather over the Hong Kong skyline. Our columnist says there is no shortage of risk events which could sour the feel-good factor for financial markets. Britain and Europe are spiralling towards a hard landing over Brexit; Catalan independence demands will be no cake-walk for political stability in Europe; while the threat of military conflict between America and North Korea is still an unquantifiable risk for global markets. Photo: Felix Wong]( "Storm clouds gather over the Hong Kong skyline. Our columnist says there is no shortage of risk events which could sour the feel-good factor for financial markets. Britain and Europe are spiralling towards a hard landing over Brexit; Catalan independence demands will be no cake-walk for political stability in Europe; while the threat of military conflict between America and North Korea is still an unquantifiable risk for global markets. Photo: Felix Wong")
Shared
- 1
![A young buyer looks over a possible purchase. Increasing numbers of grown up children above 18 years old are relying on handouts by their parents, even into their 30s, on everything from home purchase to everyday living costs. Photo: SCMP]( "A young buyer looks over a possible purchase. Increasing numbers of grown up children above 18 years old are relying on handouts by their parents, even into their 30s, on everything from home purchase to everyday living costs. Photo: SCMP")
- 2
![It does not seem like mere coincidence that large changes in China’s trajectory as a country coincide with strong leaders. Illustration: Craig Stephens]( "It does not seem like mere coincidence that large changes in China’s trajectory as a country coincide with strong leaders. Illustration: Craig Stephens")
- 3
![The sun set on the British Empire a long time ago, and critics now say the country has lost more of its lustre. Photo: AFP]( "The sun set on the British Empire a long time ago, and critics now say the country has lost more of its lustre. Photo: AFP")
- 4
![Storm clouds gather over the Hong Kong skyline. Our columnist says there is no shortage of risk events which could sour the feel-good factor for financial markets. Britain and Europe are spiralling towards a hard landing over Brexit; Catalan independence demands will be no cake-walk for political stability in Europe; while the threat of military conflict between America and North Korea is still an unquantifiable risk for global markets. Photo: Felix Wong]( "Storm clouds gather over the Hong Kong skyline. Our columnist says there is no shortage of risk events which could sour the feel-good factor for financial markets. Britain and Europe are spiralling towards a hard landing over Brexit; Catalan independence demands will be no cake-walk for political stability in Europe; while the threat of military conflict between America and North Korea is still an unquantifiable risk for global markets. Photo: Felix Wong")
- 5
![Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Robert Kaplan has warned of risks that the Treasury yield curve could become inverted. Photo: Reuters]( "Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Robert Kaplan has warned of risks that the Treasury yield curve could become inverted. Photo: Reuters")
Commented
- 1
![A Chinese Communist Party report said the party has achieved success in implementing ‘one country, two systems’ and taking it in the right direction. Photo: Sam Tsang]( "A Chinese Communist Party report said the party has achieved success in implementing ‘one country, two systems’ and taking it in the right direction. Photo: Sam Tsang")
- 2
![Chief Executive Carrie Lam greets students at a forum. Photo: Sam Tsang]( "Chief Executive Carrie Lam greets students at a forum. Photo: Sam Tsang")
- 3
![A former North Korean official who defected to the US last year has reversed his previously sceptical view of the effectiveness of United Nations sanctions meant to stop North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme. Photo: Balkis Press]( "A former North Korean official who defected to the US last year has reversed his previously sceptical view of the effectiveness of United Nations sanctions meant to stop North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme. Photo: Balkis Press")
- 4
![Carrie Lam meets the press on Tuesday before an Executive Council meeting at Tamar. Photo: Sam Tsang]( "Carrie Lam meets the press on Tuesday before an Executive Council meeting at Tamar. Photo: Sam Tsang")
- 5
![Facebook photo of two men trying to stop an SUV in Sha Tin.]( "Facebook photo of two men trying to stop an SUV in Sha Tin.")
You may also like
Dance, dance, dance ... Nederlands Dans Theater inspired by the Book of Changes
In partnership with: Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Focus on all-round achievements
Sponsored by: Harrow International School
Comments: