Author Archives: hksar gov

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (November 19) seized about 780 grams of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $810,000 from a female passenger at Hong Kong International Airport.

     A 30-year-old female transit passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Nairobi, Kenya, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for onward transit to Macao yesterday. A pellet of suspected cocaine was found on her upon Customs clearance and she was escorted to hospital for examination.

     Subsequently, the woman discharged a batch of suspected cocaine. She was then arrested.

     Investigation is ongoing.

     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

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     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (November 20) investigating a case of invasive meningococcal infection, a communicable disease transmitted by direct contact with droplets from carriers or infected persons.

     The case involves a 5-year-old girl with underlying illness, who has presented with fever, vomiting, headache and neck pain since November 15. She was admitted to St Teresa’s Hospital on the same day and was transferred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for further management on November 17. She is now in stable condition.

     Her cerebrospinal fluid sample tested positive for Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B upon laboratory testing. Her clinical diagnosis was meningitis.

     Initial enquiries revealed that the patient had no recent travel history. Her home contacts have remained asymptomatic so far. The CHP’s investigation is continuing.

     “Meningococcal infection is caused by a bacterium known as meningococcus. It is mainly transmitted by direct contact through respiratory secretions, including droplets from the nose and throat, from infected persons. The incubation period varies from two to 10 days, and is commonly three or four days,” a spokesman for the CHP said.

     The clinical picture may vary. Severe illness may result when the bacteria invade the bloodstream (meningococcaemia) or the membranes that envelop the brain and spinal cord (meningococcal meningitis).

     Meningococcaemia is characterised by sudden onset of fever, intense headache, purpura, shock and even death in severe cases. Meningococcal meningitis is characterised by high fever, severe headache and stiff neck followed by drowsiness, vomiting, fear of bright light, or a rash. It can cause brain damage or even death. The brain damage may lead to intellectual impairment, mental retardation, hearing loss and electrolyte imbalance. Invasive meningococcal infections can be complicated by arthritis, inflammation of the heart muscle, inflammation of the posterior chamber of the eye or chest infection.

     Meningococcal infection is a serious illness. Patients should be treated promptly with antibiotics.

     To prevent meningococcal infection, members of the public are advised to take heed of the following measures:
 

• Wash hands with liquid soap and water properly, especially when they are dirtied by respiratory secretions, e.g. after sneezing, and clean hands with alcohol-based handrub when they are not visibly soiled;
• Cover the nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing, hold the spit with tissue, dispose of nasal and mouth discharge in a lidded rubbish bin, and wash hands immediately;
• Avoid crowded places;
• Avoid close contact with patients who have fever or severe headache;
• Travellers to high-risk areas may consult doctors for meningococcal vaccination; and
• Travellers returning from high-risk areas should seek medical advice if they become ill and should discuss their recent travel history with their doctor.

     The public may visit the CHP’s website for more information on meningococcal infection. read more

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, met the Secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, Mr Li Xi, at Government House this morning (November 20). The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung; the Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Nicholas W Yang; the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah; the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan; and the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip, were also present.
 
     Mrs Lam welcomed Mr Li’s first visit to Hong Kong after his assumption of office as the Secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee last year and the delegation led by him which includes the Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Ma Xingrui. She thanked Mr Li for supporting the work of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in various areas all along since he took office, in particular in providing Hong Kong young people with more opportunities for exchanges, studying and starting businesses in Guangdong Province and implementing a number of facilitation measures to help Hong Kong people living in the Mainland. As this year marks the 40th anniversary of the reform and opening up of the country, she pointed out that Hong Kong has contributed to the reform and opening up and developed close ties with Guangdong Province, in which Hong Kong is still the largest source of external investment. Looking ahead, she said that Hong Kong will continue to step up co-operation with Guangdong Province, especially in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, in which Hong Kong and Guangdong may complement each other to jointly establish an international innovation and technology hub in the Greater Bay Area, and that both sides may arrange more activities to promote the advantages of the Greater Bay Area overseas.
 
     After the meeting, Mrs Lam hosted a lunch for Mr Li and the delegation members.

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     Following is the speech by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, at the Reception Celebrating the 2nd Anniversary of Karolinska Institutet Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine today (November 20):

Mr Ladeborn (Deputy Consul General of Sweden in Hong Kong, Mr Joakim Ladeborn), Professor Ceccatelli (Director of the Karolinska Institutet Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Professor Sandra Ceccatelli), Professor Li (Director of the Hong Kong node of the Karolinska Institutet Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Professor Ronald Li), Dr Göritz (Lau Fellow of the Karolinska Institutet Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Dr Christian Göritz), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     Good evening. It is my pleasure to join all of you here today, celebrating the second anniversary of the Karolinska Institutet Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine in Hong Kong. I would like to extend a warm welcome to our prestigious speakers and professionals who are attending the reception.

     The Karolinska Institutet is one of the most prestigious and renowned medical research universities in the world, a leading university from which its Nobel Assembly has selected Nobel laureates in physiology or medicine since 1901.

     In 2016, the inauguration of the Karolinska Institutet Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine in Hong Kong, focusing on accelerating research in stem cell biology, biomedical engineering, biotechnology and regenerative medicine, marked an important milestone of collaboration between Hong Kong and Sweden in the field of medical sciences.

     More importantly, as the Karolinska Institutet’s first overseas branch, the Centre has brought Hong Kong’s potential in biotechnology research and development to the international stage. Hong Kong is well positioned to develop into a regional hub of medical research and enjoys a number of advantages that are significant to the successful building up of first-class medical research infrastructure. We have an efficient public healthcare system with a properly maintained centralised system of patient records in electronic form, covering the majority of the population; our universities are well known for producing reliable, accurate and scientifically valid empirical data, translating academic research to clinical applications. 

     In fact, Hong Kong’s clinical trial standard and laboratory data are widely accepted by the Mainland, American and European regulatory agencies. Last but not least are our respect for personal and data privacy, simple and transparent tax structure, intellectual property rights protection system and a trusted legal system with an independent judiciary that safeguard the interests of all stakeholders.

     In 2011, the Food and Health Bureau of the HKSAR Government established the HK$1.5 billion Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF). Through generation and application of evidence-based scientific knowledge derived from local research in health and medicine, it is expected that the fund would help members in healthcare and related fields to strengthen research capacity, facilitate health and medical research, enhance healthcare practices, advance standards and quality of care, and promote clinical excellence. In 2016, the scope of the HMRF was further expanded to incorporate the Health Care and Promotion Fund to support evidence-based health promotion projects. These help people adopt healthier lifestyles by enhancing awareness, changing adverse health behaviour and creating a conducive environment that supports good health practices.

     Apart from supporting research and development, the HKSAR Government recognises that a robust regulatory system is equally important to guarantee treatment safety and efficiency, which in turn supports the growth of the biomedical industry. In this regard, we have already started to conduct a consultation on the regulatory framework of Advanced Therapy Products. Looking forward, we will work closely with stakeholders including academia and the medical industry to iron out the details of a statutory regulatory framework, with a view to introducing the legislative proposal into the Legislative Council in 2019.

     The HKSAR Government will continue to enhance and expand our innovation and technology infrastructure, foster partnerships with world-class academic institutions and renowned enterprises and attract them to set up overseas centres in Hong Kong. To this end, we are pressing ahead with the establishment of two innovation and technology research clusters, one of which focuses on healthcare technologies, at the Hong Kong Science Park.

     On this note, I would like to thank the Consulate General of Sweden and the Karolinska Institutet Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine for giving me the opportunity to share my views with you today. Thank you. read more

     Following is the speech by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, at a reception celebrating the 20th anniversary of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management of the Chinese University of Hong Kong today (November 20):
 
Professor Lee (Emeritus Professor of Marketing, Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Professor Lee Kam-hon), Professor Chan (Dean, CUHK Business School, Professor Chan Ka-lok), Professor Chan (Director, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, CUHK Business School, Professor David Chan), Ms Cheng (Chairman, Advisory Committee on Hotel and Tourism Management, CUHK, Ms Sonia Cheng), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good evening. It gives me great pleasure to be here tonight to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management of the CUHK. 
 
     As part of CUHK’s highly acclaimed Business School, the School of Hotel and Tourism Management has leveraged the resourceful support of the Business School and developed itself into a renowned institution in the tourism industry, offering well integrated programmes with tourism, hospitality and business elements. Since its establishment in 1998, the School has nurtured a strong team of talents for the tourism sector in Hong Kong that helps the city maintain its competitiveness with other tourist destinations. I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the great work done by the President, the Dean, the School Director, the Faculty, both past and present, and of course the graduates and students who contributed to the success of the School.
 
     Tourism is one of Hong Kong’s pillar industries, contributing nearly 5 per cent to our GDP and employing some 260 000 persons in our economy. It provides impetus to the growth of Hong Kong’s economy and creates abundant opportunities for different sectors such as hotel, retail and catering service. Thanks to the concerted efforts of the trade and the Government, Hong Kong’s tourism has sustained strong growth momentum in 2018. Visitor arrivals rose by 9.5 per cent in the first nine months of the year, and the relatively higher-spending overnight visitors also increased by 5 per cent year-on-year.
 
     The best is yet to come. There will be ample opportunities brought by the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with its collective population of over 69 million. In addition, the commissioning of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link have also slashed travelling time between Hong Kong and Guangdong, as well as Macao, facilitating visitors to make multi-destination journeys to experience our diversified tourism offerings.
 
     Ladies and gentlemen, we all know that tourism is an ever-changing industry with new products or ideas being the key to maintaining our attractiveness as a top destination. The Government will continue to work together with the trade and the School to develop more new elements and provide quality service to our visitors. On this, I will count on the School’s continued efforts and all your creativity, resourcefulness and enthusiasm.
 
     Once again, my heartfelt congratulations to the School on its 20th anniversary, and I wish it all the best in the many years to come. I also wish you all a very enjoyable evening.
 
     Thank you very much. read more