A communication breakdown between staff and management might contribute to healthcare workers' misunderstanding of the Hospital Authority's protective gear guidelines.

Speaking on a radio talk show this morning, authority Chairman Dr Leong Che-hung said the guidelines aim to list out the basic requirement of protective gear for healthcare duties of different risk-levels.

The authority has no intention of forbidding staff from using equipment even more protective than those listed in the guidelines. Healthcare staff can always request protective gear of higher level when necessary, Dr Leong stressed.

But he said the authority is still facing difficulties in purchasing some kinds of protective equipment including small-sized N95 facemasks.

On the recent death of three frontline healthcare workers, Dr Leong said the mandate of the authority is to achieve zero infection in both healthcare workers and members of the public. He promised that the authority will try its best to meet this goal.

On the long-term plan for battling SARS and other infectious disease, Dr Leong said the authority is now discussing with the Government the possibilities of having hospitals specialising in treating SARS patients.