Aids groups are meeting this week to plan action against the government's failure to appoint stakeholders and patients' representatives to the Advisory Council on Aids. Their meeting was prompted by the announcement earlier this month of the appointment of private psychiatrist Chen Char-nie as chairman of the government's advisory body on policies on HIV/Aids. Professor Chen, who has been a council member for six years, succeeds dentist Homer Tso Wei-kwok.
Nine new members also appointed for three-year terms were Fok Tai-fai of Chinese University, Lee Man-po of Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Chan Wing-tai of Shue Yan College, Ko Chun-wa of Caritas, Nora Yau Ho-chun, who recently retired from the Christian Family Service Centre, Pang Shing-fook of the Society for Rehabilitation of Drug Abusers, Alfred Tsang Hing-man of the Salvation Army, Elsie Chu Kam-ying, a retired senior nursing officer; and businessman William Ko.
Alice Chan Lai-hing, chairwoman of the Hong Kong Coalition of Aids Service Organisations, expressed disappointment. The 11-member coalition has been fighting for a decade for the right to be represented on the policy-making board.
'They did not even consider people from vulnerable groups, which I think is a backward move for the Hong Kong government,' she said. The advisory council should involve civil societies and patients 'who are willing to come out, given the opportunity'.
'It is just whether the government is willing to use this expertise. Let us be honest, who would know more than the patients themselves?' said Ms Chan, who is also chief executive officer of the Society for Aids Care.
Ms Chan said the group had been told that appointing Aids-specific NGOs and people living with HIV to the council represented conflict of interest.
