THE taskforce probing the Hong Kong Sanatorium dialysis blunder yesterday drew up a list of dozens of personnel to interview, but admitted it had no power to force them to talk.
Members mapped out an agenda for the inquiry during their first meeting, after being appointed by the hospital where three kidney patients died after contaminated fluid was administered during treatment on Thursday.
The three-member taskforce, headed by University of Hong Kong Professor Lai Kar-neng, met hospital chiefs, including deputy medical superintendents Dr Walton Li Wai-tat and Dr Tsao Yen-chow.
The report, to be submitted to the Health Department in two weeks, will list the causes of the mistake, look at emergency measures adopted after the incident and pinpoint ways to prevent a repetition of the tragedy. But the inquiry will not apportion blame.
Hospital Authority deputy director Dr Ko Wing-man said it would take note of the report to prevent such incidents occurring at the dozen public hospitals with similar dialysis devices.
Professor Lai said the team planned to interview hospital administrators, medical personnel on duty on Thursday and engineers sent from Gambro China to repair a central water treatment machine which purified tap water being supplied to the haemodialysis device.
They will be asked to report in detail on what happened and the emergency measures adopted when the six patients affected started convulsing and vomiting.
