(Fighting against New Coronary Pneumonia) Hong Kong medical expert: Central support to Hong Kong is "timely rain"
China News Agency, Hong Kong, February 13 (Reporter Han Xingtong) In response to the severe epidemic situation in Hong Kong, at the second thematic exchange meeting on the new crown pneumonia epidemic between the mainland and Hong Kong held recently, it is reported that the central government expressed principles to the five-sided assistance request made by the SAR government. The overall direction is accepted and relevant measures will be taken.
On the 13th, two Hong Kong medical experts expressed their gratitude to the central government for their support in an interview with China News Agency, and said that the move was like "timely rain" and was of great significance to Hong Kong.
It is understood that the SAR government put forward five requirements at the meeting, including sending mainland experts to assist Hong Kong in pathological investigation and analysis; enhancing Hong Kong’s testing capabilities; assisting in the construction of quarantine and isolation facilities; providing rapid antigen test kits; providing hospital beds, anti-epidemic Supply of furniture, masks, protective equipment and other anti-epidemic materials for facilities.
According to Tang Jisheng, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Medical Council Licensed Doctors Association, these five requests have covered Hong Kong's current predicament, "especially testing and quarantine, which are the top priority."
According to the figures announced by the Secretary for Food and Health of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Chen Zhaoshi, at a press conference earlier, the current daily testing volume in Hong Kong can reach about 200,000.
Tang Jisheng believes that this number is far from enough, limited by manpower and materials, and can only be greatly improved with the support of the central government.
When the detection capacity is improved, the invisible patients found must be immediately isolated, which requires a large number of additional beds in a short period of time.
Tang Jisheng believes that if a makeshift hospital can be built in Hong Kong with the assistance of the central government, on the one hand, the infected can receive immediate treatment, on the other hand, it can control the risk of virus transmission in the community, and it will also improve the medical system's ability to resist the epidemic.
"We are very grateful and welcome the central government to assist Hong Kong in preventing and fighting the epidemic." Zhou Bozhan, president of Heung Kong Zhihui and a doctor, believes that the central government has accepted many requests from the SAR government in principle, providing assistance in both hardware and software.
"We have great expectations for this, and hope that with the assistance of the central government, Hong Kong can suppress the epidemic as soon as possible." He believed that the central government's assistance to a certain extent could stabilize the hearts of the Hong Kong people.
Tang Jisheng is also very grateful for the assistance of the central government, describing the move as being of great significance to Hong Kong, like "timely rain", "Hong Kong is at the most severe and dangerous moment since the outbreak of the epidemic. At this juncture, the central government can help Hong Kong be ourselves. What cannot be done, I believe, will significantly reduce the number of infections and deaths in the future.”
At present, the specific details of the support are still to be announced.
The special class that will be jointly established by the central government, Guangdong province and the SAR government will include an epidemiological expert group.
Zhou Bozhan believes that this is an opportunity to re-examine Hong Kong's overall epidemic prevention policy.
Tang Jisheng pointed out: "The mainland is the world's best example in terms of epidemic prevention and anti-epidemic. Hong Kong medical professors and experts should learn with an open mind and refer to the experience of the mainland."
As for assisting in enhancing Hong Kong's testing capacity and building quarantine and isolation facilities, Tang Jisheng cited the Hong Kong Infection Control Centre of North Lantau Hospital and the Universal Community Testing Programme in 2020 as examples, pointing out that the Central Government has long had experience in supporting Hong Kong's fight against the epidemic, so this It is believed that the secondary support work will also be carried out smoothly. "Find out the invisible transmission chains and cut them off in order to reverse the current trend of the epidemic."
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