The work of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) to monitor and prevent epidemics in Hong Kong has been further strengthened thanks to the creation of the Communicable Disease Information System (CDIS), funded with support from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. The Trust provided HK$500 million to establish the CHP in response to the SARS outbreak of 2003.
The CDIS was officially launched today (6 May) by Club Steward Silas Yang; Secretary for Food and Health Dr Ko Wing-man; Hospital Authority Chairman Professor John C Y Leong; Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Health) Richard Yuen; Director of Health Dr Chan Hon-yee and CHP Controller Dr T H Leung.
“With rapid social development, Hong Kong needs to monitor closely communicable diseases from different channels, and to enforce instantaneous, inclusive and interactive disease control,” Mr Yang said. “We are pleased to learn that after several years of hard work by the Centre for Health Protection, the CDIS and its office have finally been put into service.”
The CDIS is an electronic platform which enables data and information exchanges between the public and private healthcare sectors and community partners, including general outpatient clinics, private medical practitioners, Chinese medicine practitioners, child care centres, kindergartens and residential care homes for the elderly. To ensure the accuracy of the information, the CDIS will perform data validation and analysis.
The new system will help enhance Hong Kong’s communicable disease surveillance, outbreak management and emergency responses, as well as its ability to plan and evaluate the prevention and control of communicable diseases, so that the impact of any disease outbreak on the community can be minimised.
The Club has played a prominent role in supporting local medical development, donating more than HK$3.1 billion in this area in last decade. Projects include the establishment of a teaching hospital at CUHK to provide high-quality and affordable medical services for sandwich-class patients; the Hong Kong Jockey Club Innovative Learning Centre for Medicine to help position the city as a regional hub of excellence in simulation based-training; and the HKJC Disaster Preparedness and Response Institute.
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Club Steward Silas Yang says the Club is pleased to learn that after several years of hard work by the Centre for Health Protection, the CDIS has finally been put into service.
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Club Steward Silas Yang (3rd right) unveils a plaque to mark of the launch of the CDIS, joined by Secretary for Food and Health Dr Ko Wing-man (3rd left); Hospital Authority Chairman Professor John C Y Leong (2nd left); Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Health) Richard Yuen (1st left); Director of Health Dr Chan Hon-yee (2nd right) and CHP Controller Dr T H Leung (1st right).
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Photos 3 / 4:
Officiating guests tour the CDIS facilities.
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