The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA) today (January 24) published the latest quarterly issue of “HA Risk Alert” and the Annual Report on Sentinel and Serious Untoward Events as a risk management and communication initiative to further strengthen the incident reporting and sharing of lessons learnt for safety improvements in public hospitals.
 
     The HA spokesperson said the latest issue of "HA Risk Alert" reported one case of retained instrument or material after surgery/interventional procedure, three cases of patient suicide, one case of maternal death and one case of others. Furthermore, among the 24 reported Serious Untoward Events, there were 21 medication errors and three cases of patient misidentification.
 
     "Subsequent to incident review and analysis of root causes of these incidents, important lessons of patient safety are identified, while recommendations are made and shared in this publication to avoid similar events in future," the spokesperson said.
 
     Similarly, the HA also released the Annual Report on Sentinel and Serious Untoward Events covering the 12 months from October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2018 after it was discussed and endorsed by the HA Board this afternoon. In this year's report 22 Sentinel Events are reported, as compared to 40 in the last reporting period.
 
     During the year, 83 Serious Untoward Events were also reported, with 76 related to medication error and seven to patient misidentification.  Serious Untoward Events are unexpected occurrences which did not cause death or permanent harm to patients but would have the potential to do so without timely intervention. 
 
     The Annual Report on Sentinel and Serious Untoward Events can be accessed by health care workers and the public at www.ha.org.hk/report/sentinel_event, while "HA Risk Alert" has been distributed to healthcare professionals in public hospitals for continuous quality improvement purposes and can be accessed by the public at www.ha.org.hk/riskalert. The next issue will be published on April 26.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     Regarding an earlier announcement about a cluster of patients infected with Influenza A in a male ward of the Department of Psychiatry, the spokesperson for Kowloon Hospital (KH) made the following update today (January 24):
 
     One more male patient (aged 41) in the ward has presented with upper respiratory tract infection symptoms. Clinical tests were arranged and the test result was positive for Influenza A. The patient concerned is being treated under isolation and as in a stable condition.
 
     Admission and visiting have been suspended in the ward concerned. Infection control measures have already been stepped up according to established guidelines. All other patients in the ward are under close surveillance.
 
     The case has been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.

     Create Hong Kong today (January 24) announced the winners of the 5th First Feature Film Initiative (FFFI). Three new directors and their production teams will receive funding from the Film Development Fund (FDF) to implement their winning film proposals and make their first commercial feature films.

     The Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Communications and Creative Industries), Mr Clement Leung, said at the award presentation ceremony that the FFFI aims to provide a platform for talented and enthusiastic young directors to develop and showcase their strengths. Since its launch in 2013, the FFFI has been a success in identifying talented young directors and producing a number of quality films.

     Mr Leung said the FFFI has identified over 10 new directors in five editions, and some of the implemented winning projects have received various awards. This shows that the new generation of film talent is full of creativity and the development prospects of the local film industry are still promising, he said.

     Mr Leung said he hoped that the FFFI would continue to fulfil its missions for grooming budding talent for the film industry and helping more young filmmakers realise their dreams. He also expressed gratitude for the continuous support from the film trade to nurture young film talent, which has gone a long way towards passing the baton to a new generation.

     In her 2018 Policy Address, the Chief Executive proposed to make a one-off injection of $1 billion into the FDF, which is close to double the total funding amount in the past decade, demonstrating that the current-term Government attaches great importance to the local film industry. Mr Leung said the Government has planned to introduce a series of new measures, should the injection be in place, in four key areas, namely nurturing talent, enhancing local production, market expansion and building the audience. He also said the Government will continue to work with the Hong Kong Film Development Council to support the film industry in Hong Kong on various fronts with a view to promoting its sustainable development.

     A total of 30 production teams signed up for the 5th FFFI, with 16 teams participating in the Professional Group and 14 teams in the Higher Education Institution Group. The winning entries are as follows:

Professional Group
———————
Film title: "A Light Never Goes Out"
Brief introduction: A story on how a widow finds the motivation to move on in the process of fulfilling the last wish of her deceased husband.
Director: Anastasia Tsang
Producer: Saville Chan
Scriptwriters: Anastasia Tsang and Tsoi So-man

Higher Education Institution Group
————————————–
Film title: "Time Still Turns the Pages"
Brief introduction: A story of how a suicidal 10-year-old student faces despair over his family and society.
Director and scriptwriter: Nick Cheuk
Producer: Derek Yee

Film title: "The Dinner"
Brief introduction: A story of how three generations of a family in a Hakka walled village face the difficulties in their lives.
Director: Eric Tsang
Producer: Patricia Cheng
Scriptwriters: Eric Tsang and Yeung Leung-chuen

     The winning teams of the Higher Education Institution Group and the Professional Group will receive a maximum of $3.25 million and $5.5 million respectively from the FDF to produce their films.

     The winning teams are required to complete the whole film production and sales process, which involves planning, shooting and distribution, and provides ample opportunities for the teams to acquire practical knowledge in making a feature film along the way.

     The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Joshua Law, today (January 24) visited the Leisure and Cultural Services Department to learn more about the work of front-line colleagues and meet with its management and staff of various grades to exchange views on matters of concern.

     Accompanied by the Permanent Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Thomas Chow, Mr Law met with the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Michelle Li, and the directorate staff in the Yuen Long Leisure and Cultural Building to get an update on the department's work in the provision of leisure and cultural facilities and the promotion of arts and culture.

     Mr Law then toured the Yuen Long Public Library in the Building. He chatted with front-line colleagues there to learn more about the diverse library services they offer to residents in the district.

     Mr Law later proceeded to the Yuen Long Sports Centre and learnt about the efforts by the department in the promotion of "Sport for All" in the community through organising recreational and sports activities.

     Before concluding his visit, Mr Law met with staff representatives of various grades at a tea gathering to exchange views on matters that concerned them. He encouraged colleagues to continue providing members of the public with quality leisure and cultural services and facilities.

              

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority, as representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, announces today (January 24) the relevant per annum interest rate for the fifth interest payment of Silver Bond Series due 2019 (Issue Number 03GB1908R) (the Bonds) issued under the Retail Bond Issuance Programme of the Government Bond Programme.

     According to the Issue Circular dated July 15, 2016 for the Bonds, the fifth interest payment of the Bonds is scheduled to be made on February 12, 2019, and the relevant interest rate is scheduled to be determined and announced on January 24, 2019 as the higher of the prevailing Floating Rate and Fixed Rate. 

     On January 24, 2019, the Floating Rate and Fixed Rate are as follows:

Floating Rate: +2.53 per cent
Fixed Rate: +2.00 per cent

     Based on the Floating Rate and Fixed Rate set out above, the relevant interest rate for the fifth interest payment is determined and announced as 2.53 per cent per annum.