Health drill: Government staff conduct the exercise to assess the Government's preparedness for any public health incidents during the 2008 Olympics.

The interdepartmental exercise to assess the Government's preparedness for any public health incidents during the 2008 Olympics has wrapped up with Secretary for Food & Health Dr York Chow saying the drill will identify areas for improvement and boost frontline officers' abilities and communication.

Dr Chow toured the Olympic Village and Prince of Wales Hospital during today's drill. He said the Government is committed to successfully holding the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events in Hong Kong.

More than 100 participants from five Government departments took part, along with the Hospital Authority, the Equestrian Company and the hotel designated Hong Kong Olympic Village. About 30 representatives from Government departments and local bodies as well as experts from the Ministry of Health and Beijing Centres for Diseases Control & Prevention attended as observers.

The exercise scenario involved 24 athletes coming down with food poisoning after lunch at the Olympic Village. Some were taken to Prince of Wales Hospital while others were treated inside the village.

Centre for Health Protection and Food & Environmental Hygiene Department officers conducted epidemiological investigations, and food and hygiene inspections in the village.

Director of Health Dr Lam Ping-yan said there is a well-established collaborative mechanism in managing food-poisoning incidents and the exercise allowed the parties to fine-tune contingency plans.