A team of six experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO) has arrived in Hong Kong to conduct an in-depth survey of the Sars outbreak in the coming weeks ('WHO team will look beyond Amoy for answers to outbreak', South China Morning Post, April 26).
This is a very welcome move, which will enable Hong Kong to more quickly and effectively combat and control the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome.
May we suggest that the government offer to the World Health Organisation - at no cost - full facilities in Hong Kong for a WHO operational centre over the next two to three years so that Sars and related problems can be tackled constantly and remain under vigilant control.
This would be helpful in terms of local, regional and international confidence. We all want to see the WHO-issued Sars travel advisory on Hong Kong lifted as soon as possible.
A WHO operational centre for Sars in Hong Kong could expedite the search for an anti-Sars vaccine, which would do much to dispel the mystery about and fear of Sars that is occurring worldwide.
Also, a WHO operational centre here would strengthen efforts to monitor and assist Hong Kong and adjacent areas to be more alert to, and better prepared to deal with, any mutation in the coronavirus that may appear suddenly with little or no warning in future.
