Press Release

Expert Panel on HIV infection of Health Care Workers to meet next Monday

21 Mar 2012

A spokesman for the Department of Health (DH) said that the Expert Panel on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection of Health Care Workers under the DH will convene a meeting next Monday (March 26) to further assess a referred case of HIV infection of a public hospital health care worker.

"The Panel will assess the degrees of exposures of patients previously under the care of the health care worker and make recommendations on the need of patient lookback," the spokesman said.

He reiterated that the Panel had held its first meeting on this particular case in January 2012 upon receipt of the referral and decided that there was no ongoing risk of transmission to patients. Scientific literature and overseas experience indicated that the risk of HIV transmission from an infected health care worker to patient in health care setting is very small.

"In Hong Kong, health care institutions have standard infection control practices in place to minimise transmission of blood-borne pathogens, including HIV, in health care settings," the spokesman remarked.

"However, in view of the complexity of the case and taking a prudent attitude, the Panel considered the need to seek more information and views from local and overseas experts for further discussion in its second meeting on March 26 in order to reach a final recommendation for subsequent management," he said.

"Professor Julian Gold, Director of the Albion Street Centre and Regional Collaborating Centre for HIV/AIDS of the World Health Organisation has been invited as an overseas expert in the meeting. Local expert and representatives from the College of Surgeons of Hong Kong and the Hospital Authority will also join the meeting. The final recommendation will be announced after the meeting,"the spokesman added.

The Expert Panel on HIV Infection of Health Care Workers was set up in 1994 upon the advice of the Hong Kong Advisory Council on AIDS to assess referral of HIV infected health care worker and make recommendations on the need of job modification and patient lookback. The Panel is currently chaired by Prof. Lam Tai-hing with members including Dr Lai Sik-to, Dr Lo Yee-chi, Miss Tsao Wai-yee and Dr Ho Mang-yee in their personal capacity.