Border inspection: Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong speaks with Department of Health staff implementing temperature checks at Lo Wu checkpoint.

The Hospital Authority's SARS alert plan is a part of the Government's overall three-level response system and not a duplication of services.

This was the message today from Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, refuting criticism suggesting the Government and the authority will be running two alert systems.

Dr Yeoh said the Government will talk further with the authority about its internal response plan for infectious disease outbreaks, and how it will co-ordinate with the main Government system.

"The authority's red-yellow-green response is in fact its own subsector response which is intended for internal communication," Dr Yeoh said. "It is a simple method that will give a signal to the authority's staff on the response required in the context of an overall response."

Dr Yeoh's remarks were made following his inspection of the border health control measures at Lo Wu.

Noting there will be an upsurge in passenger flow during the National Day holiday period, Dr Yeoh said strict health screening for SARS at the border will be strengthened to meet the expected upsurge and to combat possible spread of infectious diseases.

"We will deploy 60 more health surveillance assistants to station at the border and 28 more scanners at immigration counters to meet the increased passenger load for health screening," he said.