Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, at a media session at the Legislative Council today (June 26):
 
Reporter: ……considerations for regulatory action and whether there is any chance for the public to find out or to hear a little bit about the content of the report?
 
Secretary for Development: We received Leighton Asia’s (Leighton Contractors (Asia) Limited) report earlier this afternoon. The report will be examined by experts in the Development Bureau. Going forward, we will follow strictly the procedures prescribed in the management handbook for contractors of public works. If we require further information, we will contact the relevant contractor. If we believe that the information we have is enough so that we can come up with a proposed action, according to the handbook, we will inform the relevant contractor of our proposed regulatory action and give them reasonable opportunity to respond. That is the principle of natural justice. So, that is the procedure we will follow. And we will do it fairly and basically will not favour or prejudice any individual contractor.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
 

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     Following the announcement by the Department of Health (DH) to endorse the supplier of a digestive drug "Enzyplex" to recall the drug due to quality issue, the Hospital Authority (HA) spokesperson today (June 26) appealed to the patients of public hospitals not to take the drugs prescribed to them earlier.

     The Authority has earlier ceased to dispense "Enzyplex" in all public hospitals on June 22 due to the suspected monascus contamination. According to the record, there are currently around 4 000 patients in public hospitals being prescribed with the drug. HA will start calling the patients to remind them not to take the drug concerned as a precautionary measure. Patients should seek medical advice for their signs of digestive disorder or approach healthcare staff for any related queries.

     The Department of Health (DH) today (June 26) endorsed a licensed drug wholesaler, Unam Corporation Ltd (Unam), to recall all batches of Enzyplex tablet (Hong Kong registration number: HK-06544) from the market due to a quality issue.

     During the DH's investigation into a case of suspected mould contamination of the above product, samples of the product were collected from Unam, Hospital Authority (HA) as well as DH clinics for analysis to ascertain whether the product exceeds the pharmacopoeial standards on mould and yeast content.

     Analysis on mould content of the samples, which usually require seven days, is still in progress. On the other hand, while the testing results revealed that the bacterial contents of the samples comply with pharmacopoeial requirements, the level exceeded the in-house specifications set by the Indonesia manufacturer of the product. Due to the quality issue, Unam recalls all batches of Enzyplex tablet from the market. The DH has also instructed Unam to ask the manufacturer in Indonesia to conduct an investigation and submit an investigation report as soon as possible.

     Unam has set up a hotline (3665 2000) to answer public enquiries. So far, the DH has not received any adverse drug reaction reports in connection with the product.

     Enzyplex tablet, containing vitamins and digestive enzymes, is an over-the-counter medicine for digestive disorders. According to Unam, about 128 000 bottles of 100 tablets and 46 000 bottles of 30 tablets of the product have been supplied to the HA, DH clinics, private hospitals, local private doctors, pharmacies and medicine stores, and also re-exported to Macao. The DH will closely monitor the recall.

     People who have purchased the product should stop taking it. They should also seek advice from healthcare professionals if in doubt or feeling unwell after consumption.

  

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (June 26) investigating an outbreak of acute infectious conjunctivitis (ACJ), commonly known as "red-eye syndrome", at a residential care home for persons with disabilities (RCHD) in Tung Chung and hence appealed to members of the public to maintain good personal and environmental hygiene against ACJ.

     The outbreak involves 18 residents and two staff (16 men and four women) aged 29 to 57, who have presented with eye redness since June 5. All patients sought medical attention and one required hospitalisation. All of them are in stable condition.

     The conjunctival swab of one resident tested positive for adenovirus upon laboratory testing.

     Officers of the CHP have conducted a site visit to the RCHD and provided health advice to the staff. The institution has been placed under medical surveillance. Investigations are ongoing.

     "ACJ is a contagious condition mostly caused by bacteria and viruses. The symptoms are irritation, tearing, pain and redness of the eyes. In most cases, full recovery can be expected within one to two weeks with proper treatment," a spokesman for the CHP explained.

     Transmission usually occurs through direct contact with discharges from the eyes or upper respiratory tracts of infected people, or indirectly through contaminated fingers, clothing and other articles.

     To prevent ACJ, the spokesman advised members of the public to take heed of the following measures:

* Do not share personal items such as towels and toilet articles;
* Do not share eye droppers, eye medicines, eye makeup, contact lenses and other items that may come into contact with eyes;
* Minimise hand-to-eye contact; and
* Wash hands frequently and before and after contact with eyes.

     When suffering from ACJ symptoms, people should:

* Seek early medical attention;
* Refrain from going to child care centres, schools or workplaces until recovery;
* Avoid going to swimming pools;
* Avoid touching or rubbing the infected eyes;
* Wash hands often with soap and water;
* Wash personal items such as bed linen, pillowcases and towels in hot water and detergent;
* Properly dispose of items soiled with eye or respiratory secretions;
* Avoid wearing eye makeup or contact lenses; and
* Avoid sharing common articles such as towels and glasses.

     The public may call the DH's Health Education Hotline (2833 0111) or visit the CHP's website (www.chp.gov.hk/en/content/9/24/6529.html) for more relevant information on ACJ.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson of Tuen Mun Hospital (TMH) announced a patient fatal incident today (June 26):

     A 75-year-old male patient with end stage renal failure complained to the staff of Medical Rehabilitation Ward last Saturday (June 23) that a hard object was inserted into his anus during shower. The patient's condition was found deteriorated subsequently. On-call doctor was arranged to perform clinical examination for the patient, followed by a colonoscopy examination by surgeon and physician. It was confirmed that an ulcer of around 2 centimetres in length was found in his rectum. The wound was being treated accordingly. However, the patient's condition continued to deteriorate. Computed Tomography examination was arranged and indicated that the patient's rectum had a perforation. An urgent operation was recommended to but was declined by the patient. The patient's condition continued to deteriorate and eventually succumbed on the following night (June 24).

     The management of TMH received notification yesterday and was highly concerned towards the incident. An internal investigation was conducted immediately. After communicating with the patient's relatives, TMH decided to report the case to the police. TMH will fully cooperate with the police to facilitate the investigation.

     TMH expresses deep condolences to the patient's relatives, while the Patient Relations Officer will render necessary support to the relatives.  TMH has reported the incident to the Hospital Authority Head Office and referred the case to the Coroner for follow up.