The e-mail forum Q Would you inform on a neighbour who broke hygiene rules? The 'tip-off' system encouraging residents to report so-called violations of the hygiene regulations by other residents is plainly wrong. Such systems of spying and reporting are found only in totalitarian systems - communist, fascist or whatever. It is true there is a practical issue about how the government can effectively enforce hygiene regulations, but encouraging and rewarding people to snitch is not the way. It is a shame that many Hong Kong residents care so little about their environment, so much so that such severe regulations have to be enacted. However, civic consciousness and a sense of responsibility must be internalised. In the longer term, public awareness campaigns and better and more convenient rubbish collection facilities would be more effective than pitting one neighbour against another. Of course, external measures are also necessary to help. First, in the gradual process of instilling a sense of civic responsibility and second, in achieving compliance with the hygiene regulations. In addition to fines, offenders when spotted and caught by the proper government enforcement authorities should be required to work for a week cleaning pavements, streets and back alleys. In this way they will see first hand that such work need not be done if people simply deposited rubbish properly in the first place. William Wang, Wong Chuk Hang Q Is an infectious disease hospital a good idea? If it would take six years to build an infectious disease hospital, why not think of an alternative quick-fix method of isolating patients? The answer could be for the government either to buy or charter a suitable passenger liner. After all, such a vessel is fully self-contained and at the moment there are probably many ships laid up that could be used. Individual cabins could provide additional protection against cross-infection. Air-conditioning systems may have to be modified, but you could get the project up and running within a short time. Ideally a hospital ship might be the answer (the Americans might have one that they could lend us now that the Iraqi war is over. Any offers Mr Bush?). Maybe we should have taken such a decision right at the start of the outbreak and we might have avoided a few unfortunate casualties. Ho Hei-wah, spokesman of the Patients' Rights Association, stated that what the hospital would need most is a large number of isolation wards. Here you have it: a floating hotel with isolation wards [cabins] and facilities to feed and cater for some 500 to 1,000 patients, without the need for consultation in the neighbourhood when building a new hospital. Does anybody have the sort of ship we are looking for? Gordon Martin, Sai Kung Q What is the best way to clean up Hong Kong? Hong Kong is quite clean on the surface. But what is the real situation if you go into a lane or walk inside a restaurant's kitchen beside the road? I deem that the best way to clean up Hong Kong is for everybody to maintain good personal hygiene and habits. However, we should not rely on public education campaigns, as people continue to spit and litter. I welcome the government's cleaning measures as they raise people's awareness whether they work or not. If the government can carry out its measures, citizens will start to form good habits and automatically will not pollute the environment. Carina Chan, Tsing Yi On other matters... We are a Hong Kong group formed to press for change in the ways in which transgendered individuals in Hong Kong are viewed by society and treated under the law. Most of our members are transgendered. We were dismayed to read (May 26, South China Morning Post) of the treatment suffered by a young transgendered person at the hands of Next magazine. We note that the offending article led to the loss of her job. We take this opportunity to point out that transgendered people are ordinary people, to be found in all walks of life, making important contributions to society and causing no harm to anyone else - except perhaps the sensibilities of the narrow-minded. Like anyone else they deserve basic respect and privacy in their lives. For the moment there is neither the anti-stalking legislation nor, more importantly, the legislation against discrimination based on sexual or gender identity, that would guarantee that they get respect and privacy. We feel it is high time the government put the appropriate laws in place. Sam Winter, TransACTION Hong Kong I refer to your report 'Suspected Sars pair flew to US' (May 29, Post). I consider it is irresponsible of you to call these cases 'suspected Sars' cases and to raise issues about the quality of detection measures in Hong Kong, and also suggest the WHO lifted the travel advisory too early simply because they had 'slight fevers'. Probability analysis would suggest that they are almost certainly not Sars cases and are probably the flu or one of many conditions that cause fever. With infection rates at around two people or fewer per day in a population of six million, it is absurd to assume that just because someone coming from Hong Kong has a fever that they may have Sars. By reporting cases of mild fever as 'suspected Sars cases' ahead of diagnosis you are raising unjustifiable concerns. This is clearly damaging to Hong Kong's image as a safe travel destination at a time when the government is pumping considerable money into trying to convince the world otherwise. Name and address supplied
