The Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, today (August 30) visited Yau Tsim Mong District, where she called on Tung Wah College (TWC) and the Hong Kong Red Cross (HKRC) and met with District Council members.
Accompanied by the Chairman of the Yau Tsim Mong District Council (YTMDC), Mr Chris Ip, and the District Officer (Yau Tsim Mong), Mrs Laura Aron, Professor Chan first visited King's Park Campus of TWC. TWC was established by the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals in 2010. The School of Nursing and the School of Medical and Health Sciences of TWC offer training of local nurses and allied health professionals including medical laboratory technologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and radiographers.
Professor Chan said, "The healthcare manpower situation is challenging in light of the increasing demand for healthcare services. The Government attaches great importance to the training of healthcare professionals. In the past 10 years, the Government has substantially increased the number of University Grants Committee-funded healthcare training places. The Government will also subsidise 1 160 students to pursue self-financing undergraduate programmes in nursing under the Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors in the 2019/20 academic year, representing an increase of about 400 places compared with that of the 2018/19 academic year. We expect that increasing the number of training places will alleviate the manpower shortage of healthcare staff in the medium to long term."
Afterwards, Professor Chan visited HKRC Headquarters. The new headquarters was opened in 2015 to accommodate HKRC head offices, the Jockey Club Convention Hall, meeting facilities and activity rooms, which provide services including apheresis donation, blood transfusion, haematopoietic stem cell service, youth development and education, first aid and health care as well as special education and rehabilitation services.
She said, "The HKRC Blood Transfusion Service is the only organisation that provides blood supplies for all public and private hospitals in Hong Kong. The demand for blood supply is expected to be on a continuous rise as a result of an ageing population. The Government will continue to support the work of the HKRC and blood donation drives as well as promote blood donation."
Before concluding her visit, Professor Chan met with YTMDC members to exchange views on medical and environmental hygiene issues in the district.
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