Dr. Thomas Tsang, JP
Controller
Centre for Health Protection
Department of Health
3/F 147C Argyle Street, Kowloon
Hong Kong
Fax No.: 2573 0585
Dear Dr. Tsang,
Re: Report
My name is Danilo Reyes, a Filipino living and working for the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) here in Hong Kong.
I am writing regarding a report published by The Standard on 25th of February 2009 about Filipinos being more expose to risk of either contracting or passing on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or the MRSA than local Chinese, or other nationals here. While I understand that this findings are essential to ensure health protection; however, I am concerned of the possible negative implications of this report unless there are adequate explanation to public as to how this findings and statistics are made.
I share your departments concern regarding the high rate of infections amongst Filipinos, however, to imply, as what it is written by The Standard in their report, that the disease could have been carried from the Philippines, is of serious concern.
Firstly, I am neither a doctor nor statistician. However, I am concern as to the negative implications which your department may not have thought yet — consciously or otherwise. While I appreciate the work of your department, I am also concern as to how this would impact us, not only for the stay of my wife and my daughter living with me, but also for the other Filipino workers — domestic workers or not — here in Hong Kong.
This report, unless it is clearly explained, could result to loss of employment or needless discrimination against the Filipinos here. I am aware that disease, communicable or otherwise, is often a taboo amongst the local Chinese; and result to needless discrimination.
For example, a person known to me suffering from Cancer could now hardly find an employer because of this wrong presumption, in particular amongst misinformed local Chinese, that Cancer is a communicable disease — which is not. She had been refused employment on three occasions because of her condition. Also, some Filipino domestic workers suffering from Cancer faces similar dilemma. Thus, this explains of how damaging any medical scare could lead to us and loss to employment opportunities.
I am concerned not just about how the report is compiled but also how it is released. In fact issues of public concern should be dealt with great care and prudence. For the issue at stake, the report should be released with official briefings, with more details regarding background and methodology used in the research explained, professional guidelines and information regarding the disease issued for the public, etc. The way it is now leaked and covered exclusively in the press will only bring unnecessary panic, confusion and discrimination, and this is regrettable.
To allay my concern, and that of my own family, since we do travel from the Philippines to Hong Kong, I request your department to provide us further adequate explanation on this, particularly about how these findings were made. These would, I believe benefit us, not only for Filipinos to be not needlessly discriminated against, but also the public to fully and rationally understand this matter instead of being stereotyped.
Yours sincerely,
REYES, Danilo Andres
CC:
1. Ivan Tong, Editor-in-Chief, The Standard
2. The Consul General, Philippine Consulate, Hong Kong
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