June 23, 2000
The Department of Health (DH) announced that the new Travellers' Health Service would be introduced on July 3 this (2000) year.
The Chief Port Health Officer of DH, Dr P L Ma today (June 23) said: "The 'one-stop' quality preventive service will offer travel-related health advice and preventive medications to people planning to travel outside Hong Kong."
"Clients will be first attended by a doctor who will provide personalised and destination-specific travel health advice including the prevention of health hazards caused by altitude, jetlag, accidents and insect and animal bites."
"Appropriate immunisation against various travel-related infectious diseases like hepatitis A and B, typhoid, meningococal meningitis, Japanese encephalitis, diphtheria, rabies and tetanus will be made available."
"When appropriate, preventive medications against malaria and acute mountain sickness will be given. Travel health kits will also be available."
The consultation, preventive services and medications will be offered to the public on full cost recovery basis.
In the 1999 Policy Objective booklet on Public Health Programmes, DH undertook to set up a Travellers' Health Service in 2000 to offer preventive services for travellers and advice on travel-related health risks.
Dr Ma said that the comprehensive service "would be provided at DH's two Port Health Travel Health Centres to clients by appointment". The two centres are:
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Port Health Travel Health Centre (Hong Kong)
Room 26, 18/F, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai Telephone: 2961 8840 |
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Port Health Travel Health Centre (Kowloon)
Room 905, Canton Road Government Offices, 393 Canton Road, Yau Ma Tei Telephone: 2368 3361 |
In addition, DH will enhance the provision of travel-related health advice to the tourism industry and the general public through health education outreach programmes.
Members of the public will be able to obtain information by visiting DH's travel health website address: < http://www.info.gov.hk/trhealth > which will be launched on July 3 this (2000) year.