新聞稿
2019新冠狀病毒病疫情第三波爆發的新聞稿
家居治療和餐飲安排
二零二零年七月三十一日
致新聞界朋友們:
香港西醫工會是唯一一個向職工局註冊處註冊並為公營及私營醫生提供服務的工會，以維護醫生在僱主僱員關係中的權益，香港西醫工會秉承為醫生提供不同的延續醫學進修活動，以維持和確保醫生提供最高水平的醫療服務及提升香港市民的健康。
隨著全球2019新冠狀病毒疫情爆發大流行，香港也不例外。我們感激我們的醫學專家所做的一切
，但對於政府官員的措施及干預的努力就不敢苟同。
政府最近實施在限制餐廳、食店堂食等的措施，便是另一種以隨意方式處理事務的例子，就像放寬跨境人流限制和豁免某類別人士進入香港境內而無需隔離的那樣。
我們很遺憾地從新聞報導中得知，辛勤工作的建築工地工人，清潔工人等不得不以一種混亂的方式在狹窄的地方吃飯，這引來全世界的批評及嘲笑。另一方面，這種飲食行為實在會增加市民在炎熱天氣下中暑等健康問題，並且還會增加新冠狀病毒交叉感染的機會，而無法追踪接觸者，從而使香港的狀況每況愈下。若港府考慮開放其公共場所供工人用餐，那麼一旦爆發疫情，這將會再成為全世界的笑柄。
我們建議採用一種更好的管制方法，限制所有餐廳食肆為一人一桌，每枱餐桌需隔1.5米，禁止用膳時說話，將進餐時間限制在30分鐘以內。借助目前在餐廳食肆中實行的預防和消毒措施，這肯定會達到減少交叉感染的機會。
我們的私人執業醫生一直在與政府合作，要求有症狀的病人接受新型冠狀病毒深喉唾液核酸測試。然而，最近等候檢測結果時間越來越長，一般超過10天。此外，新型冠狀病毒確診病人等候入院的時間甚至更長，需等候接近一周。我們認為這種延誤是完全無法接受的，這正正是把確診病人推向死亡。到目前為止從治療新型冠狀病毒病人的資料中，我們察覺到早期接受治療的病人完全康復的機會較高。因此在診斷新型冠狀病毒病人的第一周內，我們必須好好把握治療病人的機會。鑑於目前延誤入院的現狀以及在家居條件允許的情況下，香港西醫工會支持“對新型冠狀病毒檢測呈陽性的病人進行家居隔離，及家居治療”的建議，作為入院前的臨時醫療措施，以減低病人的痛苦並減少新型冠狀病毒在家居傳播。我們得到公共醫生，社區護士，社區藥劑師，病人組織以及其他相關醫務人員的全力支持，以挽救新型冠狀病毒病人。
有關查詢，請致電9013 6478 聯絡香港西醫工會會長楊超發醫生。
Press Release
Press statement in the midst of COVID-19
Third Wave in Hong Kong
Home treatment and dining arrangement
31 July 2020
Dear Reporters,
Hong Kong Doctors Union (HKDU) is a unique trade union with doctor members in both public and private services. Registered with the Trade Union Registry to look after the interests and rights of doctors in their employer employee relationship, HKDU is committed to provide Continuing Medical Education for doctors to maintain and ensure the highest standard of the healthcare doctors to cater for the health of the Hong Kong community.
With the explosion of COVID-19 pandemic around the world, Hong Kong is no exception to share the horrific consequences. We appreciate the efforts offered by our medical experts so far but not quite those by our Government officials.
The lately imposed measure of restriction of dining inside restaurants by the Government is another example of handling matter in a haphazard manner just like that of loosening border restrictions and exempting certain groups of people entering Hong Kong from quarantine.
From news reporting, we are sorry to learn that the hard-working construction site workers, cleaners, etc have to find their ways to consume their meals in such a chaotic manner that invites criticism from all directions. On the other hand, such eating behaviour would increase health hazards like heat stroke in this hot summer weather and also the chance of cross-infection of COVID-19 with untraceable contacts resulting in a more dangerous situation in Hong Kong. If the Government considers opening their public places for workers to take meals, it would turn out to be a laughing stock if there is an outbreak.
We would suggest a better method of restricting restaurant service to: ONE PERSON ONE TABLE WITH TABLES 1.5 METRE APART, prohibition of talking during meals, limited meal time to less than 30 mins. With the presently practiced preventive and disinfection measures at restaurants, these will surely serve the purpose of further minimizing cross-infection.
We, doctors in private practice, have been cooperating with the Government by asking patients with symptoms to undergo the COVID-19 PRC tests. However, the time for test results to return is getting longer and longer to more than 10 days recently. Furthermore, the waiting time for confirmed COVID patients is also getting longer to nearly one week. We find such delay IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND IS PUSHING COVID SUFFERERS TO DEMISE. From the evidence on treating COVID patients so far, we have found that early treatment would lead to a better chance for the patients to recover completely. We have to grasp the golden opportunity of treating COVID patients within the first week of diagnosis. As such, in view of the present situation of delay in hospitalization and if household condition allows, HONG KONG DOCTORS UNION supports the idea of HOME ISOLATION, HOME TREATMENT for COVID TEST positive patients as an interim medical measure before hospital admission to decrease the patient’s sufferings and to minimize the spread of COVID within the household. We shall work with public doctors, community nurses, community pharmacists, patients’ organizations, and other allied health personnel in this endeavour to save COVID patients.
For enquiries, please contact Dr. Yeung Chiu Fat, President, HKDU at 90136478.