Sars-risk travellers face ban at hospital

By ANNE BESTON

Travellers from Sars hotspots will have to wait a quarantine period before having non-urgent surgery and are being asked not to visit friends or family in hospital.

The Ministry of Health said yesterday that the new precautions were in line with international moves to halt the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome as the number of cases worldwide continues to rise.

The ministry told all District Health Boards and the Private Hospitals Association to put back elective surgery for people who had recently been to level one or level two Sars-affected countries at least 14 days. The same quarantine applies to those wanting to visit friends or relatives in hospital.

"We recognise both these measures may inconvenience or upset some people but believe they are in the best interests of New Zealanders," said the ministry's Sars clinical director Dr Douglas Lush.

The surgery ban did not apply to people whose health might be compromised by having their operation deferred, he said.

It was clear from international experience the most likely transmission of Sars was in hospitals and that was why the ministry was taking the extra precautions.

Similar safeguards had already been implemented in other countries, including Australia.

The ministry's Director of Public Health, Dr Colin Tukuitonga, said it was up to individual directors to decide how they implemented the ban on elective surgery and kept hospital visitors away.

"We've had discussions obviously with DHBs on how that might be applied on the ground but at the end of the day, they'd work through the mechanics and details of that."

He said hospital authorities would be able to vet patients by getting their recent travel history.

"You can never be exact, you do the best you can."

Meanwhile cases of Sars continued to rise. Taiwan was included in the highest-risk category, level one, which also included Hong Kong and China.

China yesterday reported 187 new cases, with 11 deaths. The World Health Organisation was concerned at China's ability to properly isolate and treat Sars patients, Dr Lush said.

The country had reported a total of 3638 cases, with 170 deaths.

Neighbouring Hong Kong has reported 1600 cases, with 162 deaths. Overnight on Thursday it reported 11 new cases and five deaths.

Two days ago, Taiwan reported 11 new cases and two deaths and 89 new cases, with 11 deaths.