Author Archives: hksar gov

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The mobile application “BookHA”, launched by the Hospital Authority (HA) to provide new case booking services for Specialist Outpatient Clinics (SOPCs), has been further extended to cover Clinical Oncology and Anaesthesiology (Pain Clinic) for the convenience of patients from today (December 3).
 
     The HA spokesperson said that from now on patients can make SOPC new case booking in Gynaecology; Ear, Nose and Throat; Eye; Neurosurgery; Orthopaedics and Traumatology; Medicine; Surgery; Cardiothoracic Surgery; Obstetrics; Paediatrics; Clinical Oncology; and Anaesthesiology (Pain Clinic) through “BookHA” anywhere, anytime, instead of going to the clinics in person or sending in applications by facsimile.
 
     “As at the end of October, more than 330,000 app downloads have been recorded since the launch of ‘BookHA’ in March 2016. Appointments have been arranged for over 120,000 patients among some 160,000 applications. The operations for SOPCs to triage and process the requests have been smooth so far,” the spokesperson remarked.
 
     Generally, consultation will be arranged at the earliest for patients triaged as urgent. At present, the median waiting time is within two weeks. To further ensure that urgent patients receive notifications in time, the clinic will also notify the patient by telephone in addition to short message service (SMS) text message notification. Other patients who are triaged as stable will receive an SMS notification within 14 days.
 
     Patients who have booked an SOPC appointment through the app will receive a pop-up reminder of the appointment with the registered smartphone. If the patients no longer need to attend the scheduled appointment booked earlier via the app, they can make use of the “Booking Cancellation” function to cancel the appointment instead of calling the clinic.
 
     The spokesperson reminded patients that referral letters within three months of issue from local registered doctors are required for making new case booking at public SOPCs. Most referral letters issued by the HA carry a 2D barcode which can be scanned with the built-in function of the app, saving time on photo-taking and uploading images of referral letters page by page.
 
     “BookHA” can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple App Store (supporting iOS version 8.0 or above) or Google Play (supporting Android version 4.1 or above) and it is available in traditional Chinese and English.
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     Local erhu player Chan Pik-sum and world harmonica champion Ho Cheuk-yin (CY Leo) will collaborate in the concert “Beyond Boundary, Beyond Time”, promising the audience a musical feast reinventing classical music, pop and jazz.
 
     In addition to performing together as an unprecedented erhu-harmonica duo, Chan and Ho will also bring their own bands to the stage. In addition to erhu, Chan’s band will jam with yangqin, cello, piano and drums in an innovative selection of traditional Chinese music, Guangdong music and Hong Kong oldies, while Ho and his ensemble of harmonica, guitar, bass, keyboard and drums will play classical music and pop. Conducting them will be professional Hong Kong composers Ng Cheuk-yin, Joyce Cheung, Ricky Wong, to name a few, who have been commissioned to arrange familiar tunes into something new, unlimited by boundaries or time. This concert promises to be a fascinating potpourri of sounds from East and West, past and present.
 
     The concert “Beyond Boundary, Beyond Time”, presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department as part of the “Music Delight” series, will be staged at 8pm on January 5, 2019 (Saturday) at the Auditorium, Yuen Long Theatre. Tickets priced at $120, $160 and $220 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk).
 
     For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_592.html. read more

     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at the Ying Wa College Bicentenary gala dinner today (December 2):   
 
Reverend Lee (The Senior Missionary of London Missionary Society in Hong Kong, Reverend Lee Ching Chee), Reverend So (Chairman of School Management Committee, Reverend So Shing Yit), President Tsang (President of Ying Wa College Old Boys’ Association, Mr Tsang Chiu Kwan), Principal Cheng (Principal of Ying Wa College, Mr Allan Cheng), teachers, students, alumni, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good evening. I’m delighted to be here, to have this welcome opportunity to congratulate Ying Wa College on its bicentennial.
 
     Actually before reading Ying Wa College’s history, I did not understand why we could have a school in Hong Kong that would be celebrating its bicentennial.  Founded in 1818 in Malacca, and rooted to Hong Kong since 1843 – just one year after Hong Kong’s colonial beginnings – Ying Wa College is the oldest extant school in Hong Kong. To have survived – and thrived – for 200 years is in itself a rare achievement, in Hong Kong or anywhere else in the world. Such longevity made me curious as to what else came to life 200 years ago and is still very much with us today.
 
     I am glad that the Government plays a part in the celebration of this significant milestone. The Hong Kong History Museum is staging an exhibition on the college, which will run until December 5. Hongkong Post also released a stamp sheetlet on the theme of “The Bicentenary of Ying Wa College” with associated philatelic products last month.
 
     Like Hong Kong, Ying Wa College is a melding of East and West. In fact, “Ying Wa” is a translation of “Anglo-Chinese”. And throughout its long history, the school has concentrated on English and Chinese literature and language, together with the Christian faith.
 
     In October this year, when I visited Ying Wa Primary School, adjacent to Ying Wa College which was actually my second visit to the school in recent years, I toured the new campus annex, which is shared by the two schools. I came away impressed by the clear and compelling devotion to all-round development. Beyond the concentration on English-Chinese skills, there is a welcome emphasis on sports and sportsmanship, information technology and art, music and cultural appreciation, and innovation.
 
     Indeed, last Sunday I was delighted to invite the award-winning Ying Wa Primary School Symphonic Band to perform in the Government House during the open day. The weather might not be perfect on that day, and it did not stop the Band from turning in an impressive performance, which I and the other members of the public thoroughly enjoyed. With such amazing talent, it is no surprise that Ying Wa College is blessed with an illustrious orchestra, a band, a Chinese orchestra and a choir – and they have frequently performed in Hong Kong and all over the world.  
 
     In ensuring that its students are given a holistic education, Ying Wa College, its management and teachers, are equipping students with the skills, and sensibilities, to succeed in today’s global economy.
 
     My Government believes that our youth are Hong Kong’s most valuable assets. That’s why, since taking office, I have injected a total of $8.3billion into our annual operating expenditure on education. Education is our number one spender, accounting for $84.6 billion in our 2018-19 Budget, or nearly 21 per cent of our annual recurrent expenditure. The funds will boost the quality of education in many areas. They include in particular a new recurrent Life-wide Learning Grant, starting in the next school year. This Grant will support schools in life-wide learning by organising more out-of-classroom experiential activities in a variety of curriculum areas, and they need not be confined to academic subjects. Physical and aesthetic development and values education can also benefit from the new Grant. I’m sure it will prove popular with holistic-centred schools such as Ying Wa College, encouraging students to become self-directed learners.  
 
     Once again, my congratulations to the school management committee, the principal and teachers for your dedicated efforts in bringing quality education to the students of Ying Wa College. I wish Ying Wa College continuing success and many more centenaries. As for the students, whatever it is you choose to do, I’m confident you will reward Hong Kong and yourselves with “steadfast faith, beneficent deeds”.
 
     Thank you very much.

    

     In response to media enquiries regarding the 2019 Rural Ordinary Election, a spokesman for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (December 2) replies as follows:

     Article 26 of the Basic Law stipulates that “Permanent residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall have the right to vote and the right to stand for election in accordance with law”. The HKSAR Government all along respects and safeguards the rights enjoyed by Hong Kong residents according to law, including the aforesaid rights to vote and to stand for election. At the same time, the HKSAR Government has a duty to implement and uphold the Basic Law and to ensure that all elections will be conducted in accordance with the Basic Law and relevant electoral laws.

     The constitutional and legal status of the HKSAR is very clear. Article 1 of the Basic Law points out that the HKSAR is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Article 12 of the Basic Law states that the HKSAR shall be a local administrative region of the PRC, which shall enjoy a high degree of autonomy and come directly under the Central People’s Government. Further, Article 159(4) of the Basic Law stipulates that no amendment to the Basic Law shall contravene the established basic policies of the PRC regarding Hong Kong (i.e. Hong Kong should be a special administrative region of the PRC under the “one country, two systems” principle).

     “Self-determination” or advocating independence could be an option for Hong Kong is inconsistent with the constitutional and legal status of the HKSAR as stipulated in the Basic Law, as well as the established basic policies of the PRC regarding Hong Kong.

     The HKSAR Government notes that the Returning Officers for the 2019 Rural Ordinary Election have made decisions on the nomination of candidates. The HKSAR Government supports the making of decisions on the validity of nomination by the Returning Officers in accordance with the law. The Returning Officers have the duty as well as power to make those decisions according to the relevant electoral laws.

     Regarding the Returning Officer’s decision that the nomination of a candidate was invalid as he did not comply with section 24 of the Rural Representative Election Ordinance, the HKSAR Government agrees to and supports the decision by the Returning Officer.

     Decisions made by the Returning Officer aim to ensure that the Rural Election is held in strict accordance with the Basic Law and other applicable laws in an open, honest and fair manner. There is no question of any political censorship, restriction of the freedom of speech or deprivation of the right to stand for elections as alleged by some members of the community. read more

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (December 1) seized about 30 kilograms of suspected European eels with an estimated market value of about $300,000 at Hong Kong International Airport.      Two male passengers,… read more