Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2776, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to support the provision of comprehensive emergency medical and injury prevention services to the people of Hawaii by expanding the Department of Health's (DOH) duties and functions. This will allow DOH to assist the Hawaii Poison Center to provide statewide poison information services.

DOH, Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition/SAFE KIDS Hawaii, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children (Kapiolani Medical Center), and a number of concerned physicians provided testimony in support of this measure.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Poison Center (HPC) is administered and underwritten by Kapiolani Medical Center. HPC provides the information necessary to avert fatalities and reduce the human and monetary costs of poisoning. The availability of this information especially assists children, who are most in danger of permanent harm from the ingestion of poisonous plants, household chemicals, and unguarded medications.

Since the loss of DOH funding in 1995, Kapiolani Medical Center has been struggling to raise the funds needed to continue these vital services. Your Committee finds that it is appropriate that the State play a role in the provision of HPC poison information services, which are a necessary component of emergency medical services and also, bioterrorism preparedness.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2776, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.