Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa said his government will respond as soon as possible to the Report of the Legislative Council Select Committee to Inquire into the Handling of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Outbreak by the government and the Hospital Authority.

He thanked members of the committee for their efforts in conducting the inquiry, adding his government will carefully study the findings and recommendations of the report, including criticism against officials and staff of the government and the Hospital Authority.

He said the government has fully cooperated with the committee over the past eight months. In addition to providing detailed information about the handling of the outbreak, a number of senior officials appeared before the open hearings of the committee.

The chief executive also provided information in person to committee members to assist them in their work.

Tung said the report carried both recognition and criticism regarding the government's efforts in fighting the disease. The government has taken the lessons learnt from this humbling experience very seriously and will continue with its work to prevent and control infectious diseases.

Tung pointed out that the SARS Expert Committee he appointed last year had already conducted a comprehensive and professional review and made a number of recommendations addressing the inadequacies of the healthcare system in handling large-scale outbreaks of infectious diseases.

The government has already implemented many of these recommendations and is in the process of putting the remaining ones in place, he added.

The chief executive said that healthcare staff from both the private and public sectors tried their best and worked selflessly to combat the unknown disease under extremely trying circumstances last year.

Tung said he would like to extend once again his deepest condolences to the bereaved and people affected by the disease.

He hoped that the Administration, the Legislative Council and various sectors of the community would continue to work hand in hand in the fight against infectious diseases and to further improve Hong Kong's healthcare system.

(Xinhua News Agency July 6, 2004)