Trust Fund for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) |
| Date | Context | Summary of development | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12.5.03 | WS | The Panel noted the paper on Social Welfare Department's (SWD) work relating to the Prevention of the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The paper also provided brief information on the assistance and support to SARS patients and their family rendered by SWD [Paper] . | |
| 2.10.03 | - | On 28.5.03, an expert committee was formed to conduct a review on SARS. The committee published its report on 2.10.03 [Paper] and suggested, among others, that assistance and follow-up support should be provided to SARS patients and families of deceased SARS patients. | |
| 17.10.03 | - | The Administration announced the proposal of setting up a trust fund for SARS with a one-off injection of $130 million to provide, on compassionate grounds, special ex-gratia assistance to SARS affected families. [Press release] | |
| 20.10.03 | HS,WS | The Panels discussed the paper on the support measure for SARS patients and their families in the context of the outbreak from March to June 2003. [Paper]
The Administration proposed to set up a $130 million Trust Fund for SARS to provide ex-gratia financial assistance to eligible applicants. As the Panels suggested to extend the scope of the proposed Trust Fund to cover "suspected" SARS patients treated with steroids and who turned out not to have SARS, further meeting would be held to continue discussion on the proposed Trust Fund. | |
| 29.10.03 | HS,WS | The Panels continued the discussion on the support measure for SARS patients and their families in the context of the outbreak from March to June 2003. The Administration prepared supplementary information for members' reference. [Paper]
To address members' concern that the number of recovered SARS patients might exceed the initial estimate, the proposed Trust Fund would be increased to $150 million. In response to members' concern, the Administration undertook to consider extending the scope of the proposed Trust Fund to cover "suspected" SARS patients treated with steroids and turned out not to have SARS. Members agreed that the discussion of the proposed Trust Fund would be followed up by the HS Panel. | |
| 3.11.03 | HS | Subsequent to the Joint HS Panel and WS Panel meeting on 29.10.03, the HS Panel followed up the discussion on the support measures for SARS patients and their families in the context of the outbreak from March to June 2003. Regarding the scope of the proposed trust fund, the financial assistance would be extended to cover "suspected" SARS patients treated with steroids who were medically prove to suffer from physical dysfunction and had financial need. [Paper] The Panel was supportive of the Administration's plan to seek Finance Committee's approval of $150 million for the proposed Trust Fund. | |
| 7.11.03 | FC | FC approved a commitment of $150 million for the setting up of a Trust Fund for SARS.[Paper]
Members were informed that an ex-gratia relief payment of $1 million would be made to a child whose parents died of SARS in 2003. [Information Paper] | |
| 8.12.03 | WS | The Panel discussed the Administration's paper on the latest position of the Trust Fund for SARS. [Paper]
The Administration provided for the Panel's information a paper on the second progress report on the Trust Fund in March 2004. [Follow-up Paper] | |
| 25.2.04 | CQ | Hon Ambrose LAU raised a question on "Committee on Trust Fund for SARS". [Hansard "page 73"] | |
| 19.7.04 | HS | Use of the Trust Fund for SARS was discussed by the Panel during the discussion of the report on approved SARS-related fundings. [Paper] | |
| 13.12.04 | WS | The Panel discussed the Administration's paper on the third progress report of the Trust Fund for SARS. [Paper]
At some members' request, the Administration provided supplementary information regarding the third progress report on the Trust Fund in January 2005. [Follow-up Paper] | |
| 10.1.05 | WS | The Panel continued discussion on the paper [Paper] and supplementary information provided by the Administration [Follow-up paper] on the third progress report on the Trust Fund for SARS.
As requested by the Panel, the Administration provided supplementary information on the latest position about employees' compensation for Hospital Authority workers infected with SARS on duty in February 2005. [Follow-up Paper] | |
| 9.3.06 | HS,MP,WS | The three Panels held a joint meeting to discuss the Administration's paper on the support provided to the SARS patients. [Paper]
A background brief on the relevant details had been prepared by the Legislative Council Secretariat for members' reference. [Background paper] Considering that the Administration's responses given at the meeting had fallen short of addressing the needs of the SARS patients and their families, members suggested that the three Panels should jointly seek the agreement of the House Committee for a debate slot to be allocated to the Chairman of the joint meeting, Dr Hon Fernando CHEUNG, to move a motion on the subject for debate at a Council meeting. The Legislative Council Secretariat prepared a paper to seek the views of members of the Panel on Welfare Services to seek the agreement of the House Committee for allocation of a debate slot to Dr Hon Fernando CHEUNG, in his capacity as the Chairman of the Panel on Welfare Services, to move a motion on "Assistance to patients of SARS and their families" for debate at the Council meeting on 17 May 2006. [Paper] | |
| 17.5.06 | CM | The motion moved by Dr Hon Fernando CHEUNG as Chairman of the Panel on Welfare Services on "Financial Assistance to Patients of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and Their Families" was passed by the Council. [Hansard "page 197"] | |
| 8.1.07 | WS | The Panel discussed the Administration's proposal to provide, under the Trust Fund for SARS, continued ex-gratia financial assistance to recovered and "suspected" SARS patients upon their reaching the accumulative assistance ceiling of $500,000. [Paper]
The Panel also noted the background brief prepared by Legislative Council Secretariat on the Trust Fund for SARS. [Background paper] While members were in general supportive of the Administration's proposal, they considered that special ex-gratia relief payments should also be given to families of the deceased "suspected" SARS patients and families with deceased elderly SARS patients irrespective of whether the affected families had been relying on the deceased for financial support. | |
| 26.1.07 | FC | FC approved an increase in the commitment for the Trust Fund for SARS from $150 million by $50 million to $200 million. [Paper] | |
| 16.12.09 | CQ | Dr Hon Joseph LEE raised a question on "Assistance for People Recovered from SARS". [Hansard "page 91"] | |
| 7.7.10 | CQ | Hon LEUNG Kwok-hung raised a question on "Allowances Provided to Elderly and Other People in Need". [Hansard "page 71"] |