The Department of Health (DH) launched the Colorectal Cancer Screening Pilot Programme in September 2016 and regularised it as the Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme in August this year to heavily subsidise in phases asymptomatic Hong Kong residents aged 50 to 75 to undergo screening tests for the prevention of colorectal cancer. With the programme's second anniversary in late September this year, the DH today (October 9) announced that the number of participants recently reached 100 000.
 
        The programme is now open to enrolment for those aged 61 to 75, i.e. those born in the years 1942 to 1957. Phase two will cover those aged 56 to 75 while phase three will extend to those aged 50 to 75. Details and commencement dates of phases two and three will be announced in due course.
 
        A spokesman for the DH reminded those born in 1942 to seize the chance to enrol in the programme on or before December 31 this year, or else they will lose the eligibility as their age will exceed the upper limit next year.
 
        "Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT)-negative participants under the Programme should receive FIT re-screening every two years in order to maximise the Programme's capability to prevent colorectal cancer. Starting from the end of September this year, the first batch of FIT-negative participants has begun to receive re-screening notifications via SMS, email or postal mail. They can visit any enrolled primary care doctor (PCD) clinic to receive subsidised FIT re-screening services," the spokesman said.
 
        Details of the screening pathway and corresponding subsidies are as follows:
 
(1) Eligible persons must first make an appointment with a PCD participating in the Programme. After enrolment in the Programme, the participant will receive a government subsidy to undergo the FIT. A Government subsidy of $280 per consultation applies including the second consultation to follow up on a positive FIT test result.
 
(2) If the FIT result is positive, the participant will be referred to see a colonoscopy specialist who has enrolled in the Programme to receive colonoscopy examination subsidised by the Government in order to find out the cause of bleeding. Under the standard colonoscopy service package, the subsidy amount is $8,500 if polyp removal is necessary, while the amount is $7,800 if no polyp removal is needed. Colonoscopy specialists may charge a co-payment not exceeding $1,000 when providing the standard colonoscopy examination service.
 
        To date, 690 PCDs have enrolled in the Programme covering nearly 1 006 locations, and 97 per cent of these locations will not charge any co-payment. In addition, 178 colonoscopy specialists have joined the Programme to provide colonoscopy examination services at 354 service locations. If no polyp removal is necessary, about 80 per cent will not require additional charges. If polyp removal is needed, about 70 per cent will not require additional charges.
 
        As of June 30, i.e. the first 21 months after the launch of the Pilot Programme, 76 359 eligible persons had participated and undergone FIT screening. Among the participants who had submitted FIT tubes with analysed results, 9 637 persons (around 13 per cent) had positive results. Among those who underwent colonoscopy examination services, 5 721 persons (around 69 per cent) had polyps removed that revealed colorectal adenomas. As their polyps have been removed in the course of examination, there is no chance for these polyps to become cancerous. The programme has demonstrated the importance of undergoing timely screening tests for identifying people at increased risk of disease for early treatment.
 
        The spokesman said, "Among the participants who received colonoscopy services, 523 participants were diagnosed with colorectal cancer and have received referral, representing a detection rate of six per cent. Preliminary assessment of 319 colorectal cancer cases revealed that the majority (60 per cent) belonged to the early stages, thus having a more favourable prognosis."
 
        Colorectal cancer is the most common cancer locally. In 2015, there were 5 036 newly diagnosed colorectal cancer cases, accounting for 16.6 per cent of all new cancer cases, or about one in six new cancer cases. In 2016, colorectal cancer resulted in 2 089 deaths, accounting for 14.7 per cent of all cancer deaths, or about one in seven cancer deaths. It is the second most common cause of cancer death in Hong Kong, coming only after lung cancer.
 
        To combat the threat of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including cancers, the Government this year announced "Towards 2025: Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent and Control Non-communicable Diseases in Hong Kong", setting out nine local targets to be achieved by 2025, which include reducing the risk of premature mortality from cancer.
 
        Those who are interested in the Programme can visit the DH's thematic website www.colonscreen.gov.hk for more information and find a list of enrolled PCDs. The DH has also set up a dedicated hotline (3565 6288), which is operated by trained staff to provide a direct response to public enquiries as a more convenient service for the public. 
 
        Eligible persons are also reminded to enrol in the electronic Health Record Sharing System (eHRSS) prior to joining the Programme. For details, please visit the eHRSS website at www.ehealth.gov.hk or call the Registration Office at 3467 6300.

     The Education Bureau (EDB) today (October 9) announced that the Hong Kong Scholarship for Excellence Scheme (HKSES) will, from today until December 31, be open for applications from eligible Hong Kong students who intend to pursue undergraduate or postgraduate studies at world-renowned universities outside Hong Kong starting from the 2019/20 academic year.
 
     A spokesman for the EDB said, "As a merit-based scheme targeting the most outstanding Hong Kong students, the HKSES seeks to cultivate a cadre of brilliant young achievers with global vision, international networks and world-class education, who will return home to enrich Hong Kong's talent pool and competitiveness in the long run. Selection will be based on candidates' academic achievements and other attributes such as leadership qualities and potential as well as contribution and commitment to society. Awardees are required to complete their specific study programmes and undertake to return to Hong Kong upon graduation to work for at least two years or a period equivalent to the duration of the scholarship received, whichever is longer."
 
     All awardees will receive a non-means-tested scholarship to cover their tuition fees. The relevant ceiling for scholarship will be raised from $250,000 per annum to $300,000 per annum starting from the 2019/20 academic year. In addition, a means-tested bursary will be granted to students who may need additional support to pursue their studies, subject to a ceiling of $200,000 per student per annum, to cover their living and study-related expenses. The value of the award will be correspondingly reduced if an awardee also receives other awards, both locally and abroad, or assistance to finance his or her same studies overseas.
 
     Apart from the monetary reward, the value of the HKSES lies in its prestige and recognition as well as other non-monetary benefits. Awardees will receive a series of support and mentorship services to be rendered by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and other sectors of the community.
 
     More details on the HKSES are available at the HKSES website (hkses.edb.gov.hk). Eligible students who intend to pursue their first year of undergraduate or postgraduate studies at world-renowned universities outside Hong Kong in the 2019/20 academic year (i.e. during the period from August 2019 to July 2020) may submit their applications for scholarship online via the application system at the HKSES website on or before December 31, 2018 (by 6pm).
 
     Shortlisted applicants who have received confirmed offers from their chosen universities and programmes will be invited to attend interviews for the scholarship from April next year onwards. They will be notified of the results after the interviews.

     Police are investigating a murder, suicide and arson case in Sham Shui Po last night (October 8) in which a 68-year-old man and his 59-year-old male neighbour died.

     At about 11.55pm, Police received respective reports that a fire broke out inside a unit on Tai Nan Street and that someone was suspected to have fallen from height.

     Police officers sped to the scene and found the 68-year-old man lying outside 214 Tai Nan Street. He was suspected of falling from height and was rushed to Kwong Wah Hospital in unconscious state. He was certified dead at 0.11am today (October 9).

     Police also found a unit on 214 Tai Nan Street on fire. After the fire was put out, a 59-year-old man sustaining face, head and back injuries was found inside the unit. He was certified dead at scene.

     Initial investigation revealed suspicious circumstances surrounding the fire of the unit. The 68-year-old man was believed to have committed suicide, while his 59-year-old male neighbor was assaulted with a knife and a hard object.

     Post-mortem examinations will be conducted later to ascertain the causes of death of the deceased.

     Active investigation by the District Crime Squad of Sham Shui Po District is underway.

     Police today (October 8) appealed to the public for information on a woman who went missing in Mong Kok.

     Fu Ho-chun, aged 64, went missing after she left her residence on Butt Street yesterday (October 7) afternoon. Her family made a report to Police on the same day.

     She is about 1.6 metres tall, 45 kilograms in weight and of thin build. She has a long face with yellow complexion and shoulder-length black curly hair. She was last seen wearing a red shirt, black and white checkered trousers and brown shoes.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing woman or may have seen her is urged to contact the Regional Missing Person Unit of Kowloon West on 3661 8038 or 9020 6542 or email to rmpu-kw-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, met with the Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, Mr Yu Weiguo, at Government House at noon today (October 8). The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung; the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau; and the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip, also attended the meeting.

     Mrs Lam welcomed Mr Yu's visit to Hong Kong to attend an activity organised by the Hong Kong Federation of Fujian Associations last night as well as a Fujian-Hong Kong co-operation promotion event to be jointly held by the Fujian Provincial Government and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) tomorrow (October 9). Noting that Fujian is a core area of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, Mrs Lam encouraged the province to leverage Hong Kong as a platform to jointly explore business opportunities brought about by the Belt and Road Initiative.

     Mrs Lam said that there are more than 1 million Fujian clansmen living in Hong Kong, and many Hong Kong people are studying and living in Fujian. With the commissioning of the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link last month, West Kowloon Station in Hong Kong is now directly connected with 10 destinations in Fujian Province, and it will take only some five hours to reach the provincial capital, Fuzhou. Consequently, she said she expects that economic and cultural links between Hong Kong and Fujian will become even closer. Mrs Lam also thanked the Fujian Provincial Government for its care for Hong Kong people living in the province. She noted that measures were rolled out by the Central Government to assist Hong Kong residents in living, working and studying in the Mainland, and that an announcement was made earlier allowing Hong Kong residents living in the Mainland who meet the relevant criteria to apply for residence permits to enjoy a number of rights, public services and facilitation measures in their place of residence. She said she hopes that the Fujian Provincial Government will continue to implement the measures proactively.

     Mrs Lam added that she launched the platform for Hong Kong-Fujian co-operation between the HKSAR Government and the Fujian Provincial Government in 2015 in the capacity as the Chief Secretary for Administration and took part in the Hong Kong-Fujian Co-operation Conference held in Fuzhou and Hong Kong, and that she is pleased that the third co-operation conference would be held in Fuzhou next month. She said she hopes the two places will collaborate more, identify new growth opportunities and strengthen co-operation and exchanges in areas such as innovation and technology, tourism and youth development.