Page 116 - HA Convention 2016 [Full Version]

HOSPITAL AUTHORITY CONVENTION 2016 Masterclasses

M8.1 Lead in Drinking Water Incident in Hong Kong 2015 16:15 Room 221

An Overview of the Incident Management by the Public Health System
Wong RSM
Consultant Physician, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong

In July 2015, lead levels in water of a public housing estate was higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended
level. Further investigations showed that the situation spread to more public housing estates which were subsequently
confirmed to be caused by excessive lead in solder. Hospital Authority Toxicology Service (HATS), in collaboration with
Department of Health and relevant disciplines in the Hospital Authority, responded this incident promptly with immediate
evidence-based risk assessment, formulation of care protocols, risk communication as well as public education. Various
hospitals have been providing blood taking and follow-up services to affected residents under the Government Voluntary
Blood Lead Level Screening Programme which was subsequently extended to young children exposed to excessive lead
in drinking water of Kindergartens and other institutions. The establishment of HATS has facilitated the concerted efforts
of all relevant parties to handle the incidents. In addition to clinical care of affected citizens, public education and risk
communication are equally important in incident management.

Tuesday, 3 May

M8.2 Lead in Drinking Water Incident in Hong Kong 2015 16:15 Room 221

The Roles of Clinical Laboratory
Mak TWL
Department of Pathology, Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong

In the lead in drinking water incident, the Hong Kong government decided to screen the blood lead levels (BLL) of children
under 6 years old (later extended to 8), pregnant and lactating women of the affected public housing estates. To the clinical
laboratory, this is just one single, not-too-sophisticated test. However, the challenge of this apparently simple task is huge.
The challenge lies in the sudden surge in demand – more than 100 times of the usual workload at some points. Additionally,
there was a continuous change in demand, almost on a weekly basis in the first few months. No one knew how big the
problem was and how long it would last in early stage. All these factors contributed to huge difficulty in planning and
implementation of the screening programme. In this presentation, the roles of the laboratory together with some insights
learned from the incident would be shared.

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