13 April 2003

Symposium on SARS
Hong Kong College of Physicians
Hong Kong Academy of Medicine
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Welcoming Address
by Dr C H Leong
President, Hong Kong Academy of Medicine

Prof Yu, Colleague, Ladies and Gentlemen,

          May I begin by congratulating the Hong Kong College of Physicians for organizing this symposium on SARS. It is most timely.

          For the last few weeks, Hong Kong has been under the threat of this war of man against virus. As of today we are not sure who is winning. Regrettably while we are trying our best to help ourselves and help others with our bitter experience, we in Hong Kong have been unfairly battered and used as a scapegoat. Many countries are blaming Hong Kong for spreading the disease, many countries are closing their borders on us. Even WHO has coin this disease SARS, purposely or accidentally reflecting or jeering at us.

          No, we should not despair nor should be dejected. Indeed, there are many areas that Hong Kong should feel proud. We are perhaps the most transparent part of the world exposing all our data for everybody's benefit knowing very well we are laying ourselves bare for criticisms. Within weeks our scientists, working with no rest, has identified the culprit of the outbreak - coronal virus. Within such a short constrain of time we have almost perfected the ideal format of treatment to benefit the world.

          Yet there are many areas that we are still in the dark : Where did the disease originate? Is droplet the only form of transmission? What is the role of animals and insects as carriers? How sensitive and specific are our diagnostic test? Is the virus stable enough for vaccine production? How effective and safe is convalescing serum? Is infection control the most important factor to prevent the epidemic or is it the population density in the long term? In short: the epidemiology, the disease spectrum, the diagnosis, the treatment, the long-term management and even the economic implication need to be analyzed on in greater detail.

          Today's academic seminar is geared to address many of those. We want to complete the jigsaw. This seminar is not a political seminar, it is not a seminar to finger point who has been right and who has been wrong. Yes when the dust settled, we must do a post mortem, to discover lessons to be learnt. But as for now we should be putting our vision forward, join our highly intellectual scientific minds together irrespective of sectors, tufts or institutions. We are all in it together - the Academy of Medicine, the Hospital Authority and the two Universities etc. There is only on common enemy - the despicable virus.

          We must win this war. The Medical Professor owes this to the public we serve.

          Again let me congratulate the participants of this seminar. Let us hope today's seminar will provide clues to the discovery of the missing pieces in this jigsaw.