In February 2003 issue of HKDU bulletin, I mentioned that HKDU is proud of being the number one among medical organizations of Hong Kong in the following three areas:- the First Trade Union in Hong Kong with members from both the private and public sectors, the First Medical Organisation to have membership card with smart chip facility for CME point capture, and our Union came top serving the highest number of doctors among all Hong Kong CME providers for non-specialists. I have said that I would count on you to capture more number ONES in the very near future.
Recently, we have captured another number one. In the present outbreak of SARS, the HKDU is the First Medical Body who gave the warning signal to our doctors to wear masks as a preventive measure against the SARS. This is the result of collective wisdom from our members, public and private alike. We are not magicians. The recommendation of mask wearing by the Union came on 13th March 2003 as a result of painstaking evidence collection and logical thinking, especially so when some medical representatives gave a completely opposite view to the public in Radio Television Hong Kong on 12th March 2003, one day before our announcement and circulation to our members through the rapid communication system.
Subsequently, our warning is affirmed by the HKSAR Government on 18th March 2003, supported by microbiologists in the University of Hong Kong, proven by the Chinese University on 12th April, 2003 and evidenced by the fact that all the private colleagues suffering from this deadly disease did not wear mask before contracting it. However, we feel extremely sorry to lose one of our combatants in this mysterious virus war. Let us remember Dr. Lau Tai Kwan, one of our Members, in his unfailing effort to saveguard the health of mankind, including those suffering from SARS.
With the same courage and devotion of Dr. Lau and his family, we have listed out the actions of the Union in the war against the mysterious virus in the HKDU Diary on SARS in the last edition of the HKDU Bulletin. We have challenged the authority’s statement of SARS confining to the hospital in the very beginning and we have even stepped up our suggestions to the HKSAR Government in our two press statements to combat community outbreaks on 20th and 24th March 2003. The measures we suggested were enforcing mask wearing in crowded areas, strict isolation measures for close contacts, close schools for two weeks and health checks in the border. However, our advice was not taken seriously even after our meeting with Dr. E K Yeoh on 25th March 2003 until there was an outbreak of SARS cases in Amoy Garden on 26th March 2003 that the Chief Executive eventually took the lead to implement the measures which we had suggested on 27th March 2003.
Noting there was an increasing number of new cases and mortalities from the SARS even after the implementation of the above mentioned measures, we held a press conference on 12th April 2003 to suggest further step up control measures to be taken by the HKSAR Government to attack and contain the mysterious virus now confirmed to be coronavirus most likely from animals. Please refer to the HKDU Press Statement on 10th April 2003 as reproduced on Page 10 of May 2003 bulletin. The measures we suggested included compulsory mask wearing, quarantine and isolate close contacts and hospital staff caring SARS patients, “close” border between Hong Kong and Mainland China to travelers for leisure or home visits, surveillance and quarantine of visitors in the ports, posting lists of SARS affected resident areas and private doctors (on a voluntary basis).
Since there is the danger of insufficient respirators and supporting medical and nursing staff in the public health care system, the most important thing now is to prevent further rise in the number of new SARS cases. The most important task for members in private practice is to educate all citizens of Hong Kong to live a healthy life style and to implement adequate preventive measures so as to decrease the chance of contracting SARS or to decrease the severity of the disease if unluckily contracted the coronavirus. We do hope that the prevalence and incidence of the virus will decrease by June 2003 due to hot weather. And we do hope that, with our professional unfailing effort, all citizens of Hong Kong can breath fresh air without masks pretty soon!
Dr. Yeung Chiu Fat Henry
在2003年2月份會刊中，我提到香港西醫工會因以下三方面脫穎而出能引以為榮：第一個擁有私家和公家醫生的工會，第一個醫學團體擁有會員咭兼能自動記錄CME分數的聰明咭，和我會是在所有向香港非專科醫生提供CME者中獲得最多醫生參與。我曾說過將來要靠大家再次爭取更多的第一位。
最近，我們又再爭取到第一位了。在現時非典型肺炎的爆發期中，香港西醫工會是第一個發出警告及提醒醫生要戴口罩預防SARS的醫生團體。這是各位公家與私家醫生集體智慧的成果。我們並非魔術師。雖然有醫學界代表在2003年3月12日於香港電台對公眾發表一套完全相反的意見，但根據邏輯推理與艱辛搜集証據的成果，我會最終亦在2003年3月13日肯定地提出戴口罩的重要性，並於當日用我們的快速通訊系統通知各會員。
隨後，我們的警告終於在3月18日被特區政府肯定了，其後，更獲得到港大的微生物學家的支持，得到4月12日中大的證明及以所有染上這致命之症的私家同業均未有戴上口罩後才染上的事實為理據。不過我們很悲痛在跟這病毒戰役中失去了我們一位戰士。讓我們牢記著我們一位會員劉大鈞醫生，為悍衛人類健康及拯救SARS病人鍥而不捨的努力。
秉著劉醫生一家的勇氣和投入，我們工會奮起與這神秘病毒對抗而所採取之一切行動均於上期工會會刊編入SARS的HKDU Diary內。我們很早便已經挑戰當局宣稱SARS只局限於醫院之說，我們更於3月20及24日兩份新聞發佈稿中提出更廣泛更徹底的建議，向特區政府建議的措施包括人多地方必須戴口罩，嚴厲隔離緊密接觸者，學校停課兩星期及邊境檢疫。可惜，即使於3月25日我們與楊永強局長開會後，我們的建議並未受到重視，直至3月26日淘大SARS疫情爆發，特首才終於在3月27日露面，領導實施我們早前提出的建議。
我們察覺到儘管推行以上措施後， SARS的發病與死亡率仍不斷上升，於是在4月12日再舉行新聞發佈會，再一次呼籲政府加強控制措施對付這相信是從動物來的冠狀病毒。請參閱第10頁附上的4月10日香港西醫工會新聞稿。我們的建議包括強制戴口罩，防疫隔離及隔離緊密接觸者和照顧SARS病人的醫護人員，禁制中港邊境的旅行或探親者，海關實施監察及隔離，公佈SARS患病者居住地區及私家醫生名字(自願性質)。
既然公立醫院存在呼吸機及支援醫護人員不足的危機，這刻最重要的是防範SARS再度蔓延，私家醫生會員的最重要工作是教育全港市民過健康生活及做足預防措施，希望減低染病機會，又或不幸病了也不致太嚴重。我們很希望到了六月天氣轉熱後，病毒傳播的力量因而減弱。我們希望因各位的不懈努力，全港市民很快再一次能不用戴口罩呼吸到新鮮的空氣。
楊超發醫生