Press Release
DH receives WHO Regional Director and conducts Exercise TOPAZ on Ebola preparedness
29 October 2014
The Department of Health (DH) received the visiting Regional Director for the Western Pacific of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Shin Young-soo, at the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) this morning (October 29) to share experience on prevention and control of infectious diseases in view of recent overseas outbreaks of Ebola virus disease.
Accompanied by the Director of Health, Dr Constance Chan, and the Controller of the CHP, Dr Leung Ting-hung, Dr Shin was first briefed on the DH's comprehensive approach to prevention and control measures to safeguard Hong Kong against Ebola, and the Preparedness and Response Plan for Ebola of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (the Plan).
At the meeting, a wide range of issues related to Ebola was discussed, including the response levels to Ebola and the command structure, risk communication strategy, stock of personal protective equipment, collaboration with neighbouring areas such as Guangdong and Macau, and measures taken at boundary control points. Dr Shin was confident in Hong Kong in the effective prevention and control of Ebola. He remarked that collaboration between regions was important as containment of the disease in one place means security to the others.
In the afternoon, the Dr Chan inspected an exercise codenamed TOPAZ conducted by the CHP at Tung Tsz Holiday Home, Tai Po, to drill the Plan with a view to enhancing preparedness and responsiveness of relevant departments to Ebola. The Ground Movement today tested the co-ordination and procedures between the DH and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) regarding residential disinfection in case a patient is infected with Ebola.
Under simulation, a patient who presented with fever, serious diarrhoea and vomiting, was suspected of Ebola and transferred to the Hospital Authority Infectious Disease Centre at Princess Margaret Hospital for isolation, diagnosis and treatment. While her specimen was pending laboratory testing, the CHP immediately commenced epidemiological investigations which revealed the patient's travel history to an Ebola-affected country.
Upon laboratory confirmation as an Ebola case, the CHP's Outbreak Team arranged an urgent field investigation and inspection of the patient's residence to identify possible sources of infection, potential contacts, as well as sites and objects contaminated by the patient's body fluids for necessary disinfection and cleansing by the FEHD. Her home contact, who helped to clean up her vomitus during onset, was immediately instructed to adopt precautionary measures (including wearing a mask and avoiding contact with other people) while contaminated items were collected and then properly disinfected or disposed of. The CHP's Infection Control Branch (ICB) monitored the gowning and de-gowning of personal protective equipment (PPE) throughout the exercise.
"The exercise provided a valuable opportunity for relevant parties of the public sector to test their preparedness and identify areas for improvement. The Government is committed to maintaining preparedness against Ebola," a spokesman for the DH said.
"Exercise TOPAZ involves a series of multi-agency drills based on the Plan launched on August 20 with the Alert Response Level activated accordingly. We will continue to conduct interdepartmental exercises with the stakeholders concerned, including government bureaux/departments and organisations, in close partnership," the spokesman added.
Officers from the CHP's Emergency Response and Information Branch, Surveillance and Epidemiology Branch, ICB, the DH's Port Health Office and the FEHD observed today's exercise.