Scott Lynda: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Scott Lynda: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:608;Page:5259] 
12.  
Dr LYNDA SCOTT (NZ National—Kaikoura) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: Have eight cases of Sars been reported to the Ministry of Health under the notifiable diseases provisions of the Health Act 1956; if so why has only one been reported to the World Health Organization? 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Health) 
: 
 Eight suspected cases were reported to the Ministry of Health under the Health Act. Those not reported to the World Health Organization were investigated and their symptoms excluded them from being probable severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) cases. That is called diagnosis by exclusion. It is the approach recommended by the World Health Organization in the absence of a specific diagnostic test. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: What has changed between yesterday when we had only one Sars case and today when the chairman of the Ministry of Health’s Sars technical advisory group Dr Lance Jennings said several of the cases reported since March are probably Sars cases and how is that any different from the Chinese Minister of Health suppressing information on the number of cases? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: In New Zealand we use a broad definition in defining Sars for the purpose of reporting to the Ministry of Health which is useful in protecting New Zealanders from Sars because it picks up all possible cases. It is then the medical officer of health the physician who is attending the person and the technical advisory group led by Dr Lance Jennings who determine whether the cases are Sars. That technical advisory group has deemed that the cases that have come before it other than the one that we have reported were not probable cases of Sars. 
Dave Hereora 
: Who makes the decision on whether Sars cases are reported to the World Health Organization? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: The independent Sars technical advisory group makes the decision in consultation with the treating physician and the medical officer of health. That group is made up of 15 eminent New Zealand specialists and experts. They make the decision independently. Not one case goes to the Minister of Heath. I have absolutely nothing to do with the decision but I have to say that the 15 experts led by Dr Lance Jennings include people like Professor Keith Grimwood Dr Rosemary Ikram and Associate Professor Stephen Chambers. I could go on. I have never received any information from that group other than what has been made available to the public. [ 
Interruption 
] I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Tony Ryall is insinuating that I was told information. That is not correct. He is accusing me of not telling the truth. That is not correct. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member should not have been interjecting. He was interjecting continually. I called for order once but if the member assures me that he was not accusing the Minister of—[ 
Interruption 
] Was the member accusing the Minister of not telling the truth? 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Yes I was and I withdraw and apologise. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Given the legal responsibility under the Health and Safety in Employment Act to provide employees with equipment necessary to protect them can the Minister confirm whether all front-line staff in hospitals are equipped with the masks that the World Health Organization says are essential to protect staff in close contact with Sars patients which are the masks that provide 99 percent particulate filtration not the ordinary N95 masks that were circulated recently? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: The member was at a briefing on Monday at which the Ministry of Health informed the members who were there that the World Health Organization recommendation was an N95 mask. They had been provided right around New Zealand to front-line staff. On that day—in fact on the evening before—the World Health Organization updated its quality of mask to an N100. The member was informed of that at that stage. While there are some N100s in New Zealand there are not stocks for everyone. People at this stage have N95s and the Ministry of Health is acquiring the N100s as fast as possible. That information came only 2 days ago. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: As it was Dr Lance Jennings who actually said that several of the cases reported since March are probably Sars cases when did she know that several of the eight notified cases were probable Sars cases and why has the public not been informed until now? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I have not to this day been advised that there are eight probable Sars cases because the decision on whether a case is Sars is not made by me or the Ministry of Health but by the committee members themselves. They decide whether it meets the criteria. If there were other cases I am sure that Dr Lance Jennings a man of integrity would have reported them. He has no reason not to because it is on the heads of committee members that the decision is made. They have nothing to hide. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: Does she still consider the response to the Hawke’s Bay case as excellent in the light of the facts that the contacts who travelled to China with that person have not all been contacted since returning to New Zealand and that at least one person has continued to travel around New Zealand unaware of the risks—a person whose daughter-in-law has stated she is appalled by the way that is being handled? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I have been advised that one woman from that group went to Waiheke Island. Although she did not speak to the health officials herself she spoke through another person and was given all the information. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I seek leave if appropriate for the  
Hansard 
 record of the Minister of Health’s answers to question No. 12 today to be made available ideally within the hour. We know we normally have the  
Hansard 
 record by 5.30 or 6 o’clock but if we could have that part a little earlier that would be very helpful. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am pleased to inform the member it will be on the website by about 5.30 p.m. That has been so for all this session. Members are always at liberty to approach the Minister in that way but the answers will be on the website by about 5.30 p.m. It has to be sent and go through the usual processes. The time for questions has expired. I call on Government order of the day.