The Hong Kong Forum: 60th Anniversary of the New York Convention was held today (September 20) to commemorate 60 years of the operation of the New York Convention.

     The Forum was jointly organised by the Department of Justice, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and the Asian Academy of International Law (AAIL).  The event has gathered prominent experts on arbitration and mediation as well as distinguished judges coming from all four corners of the world. The Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal, Mr Geoffrey Ma Tao-li, gave opening remarks at the Forum.

     Under the theme "Rejuvenating New York Convention in the 21st Century", the Forum reviewed the application of the New York Convention over the last six decades. The event also explored whether the Convention needs to be "modernised" to meet new challenges and complexities, and discussed the implications of investment mediation on the future of investment arbitration.

     Speaking at the Forum, the Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC, said that the New York Convention is an important legal infrastructure for international arbitration. Hong Kong has been actively providing training for judges in the application of the Convention.

     Under the New York Convention, arbitral awards made in Hong Kong can be enforced in 159 Contracting States and also in the Mainland, by way of a mutual arrangement. Hong Kong also plays an active role at international level to enhance its role as a centre for international legal and dispute resolution services.

  

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
 
     The Hospital Authority (HA) Board today (September 20) discussed and endorsed the report on the "2017 Patient Experience Survey on Inpatient Service" (the Survey). The Survey revealed that the proportion of respondents who rated their overall inpatient experience positively had increased to 91 per cent, as compared to 86 per cent in a similar survey conducted two years ago. The Survey results will help the HA to better understand the needs of the patients and further enhance its service quality. 
 
     The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care (JCSPHPC), Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong was commissioned by the HA to conduct the Survey from August to November 2017. More than 9 900 randomly selected patients discharged from 26 public hospitals were interviewed by phone. The Survey examined the core aspects of patient care, covering the patient journey from admission to discharge.
 
     The Principal Investigator of the Survey, Professor Eliza Wong of the JCSPHPC, said that the overall response rate of the Survey was 84 per cent. The findings revealed an overall positive experience in inpatient service, with 91 per cent of respondents rating it 7 or above (on a scoring scale of 0 to 10). The mean score of the overall experience across the 26 public hospitals was 8.1. The JCSPHPC conducted a similar survey in 2015 for around 9 300 patients discharged from 25 public hospitals, where 86 per cent of respondents rated the overall experience positively and the mean score was 7.8.
 
     The majority of the respondents gave high ratings for multiple care aspects including "doctors and nurses providing clear and understandable answers to important questions", "confidence and trust in healthcare professionals", "pain control", "provision of clear and understandable explanation in the patients' care and treatment process, as well as on how to take medication after discharge" and "being treated with respect and dignity".
 
      However, Professor Wong added that, "Evaluative items concerning 'response time after pressing the call bell' and 'provision of contact information for post-discharge care' were identified as areas with comparatively low scores. These two newly added questions originated from a similar patient survey in the United Kingdom. To keep the Survey abreast of the times, we will continue to take into account both international experience and local healthcare culture in devising future questionnaires."
 
     The HA Director (Quality and Safety), Dr Chung Kin-lai, said, "The HA will study the findings of the Survey in detail to continuously improve the quality of public hospital services. In view of the relatively low rating in the provision of discharge information in the 2015 Survey, the HA has launched a pilot project in some public hospitals where discharged patients would be given a summary sheet with salient medication reminders and future medical appointments. The project will be extended to all public hospitals if the outcome is favourable. On the call bell issue, we will also explore how best to support frontline staff and patients under the heavily loaded ward environment.
 
     "The HA is deeply grateful to patients for their support and for giving positive ratings in this Survey on inpatient service. The HA will continue to carry out regular surveys in specific areas or themes to help map the service development direction and formulate improvement measures."
 
     Members of the public are welcome to browse the full report on the Survey, which can be accessed online under "Special Reports" in the "Corporate News" section of the HA website www.ha.org.hk.

     The 28th Chinese Poetry Writing Competition prize presentation ceremony was held today (September 20) at Hong Kong Central Library. Organised by the Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the competition aims to promote proficiency in Chinese language and the appreciation of Chinese literature with rhymes.
 
     The competition received an enthusiastic response this year with more than 500 entries.
 
     The First Prizes in the open category and the student category went to Mr Wong Kam-hung and Hong Kong Shue Yan University student Miss Deng Ziying respectively. Mr Wong's work describes a camera drone flying in the sky and shooting far away, while Miss Deng's work tells us that if we overcome life's hurdles, we can ultimately find the truth of life. Other winning works feature a variety of topics, including allegories on personal feelings as well as reminiscences about old friends.
 
     Speaking at the prize presentation ceremony, the Assistant Director of Leisure and Cultural Services (Libraries and Development), Miss Rochelle Lau, said that the Chinese Poetry Writing Competition aims to promote greater interest in writing and Chinese poetry. To tie-in with the competition, the HKPL has organised the Talk Series on Chinese Poetry Writing to introduce the characteristics, rhyming and writing skills of Chinese poetry. She expressed the hope that more people will become devoted to poetry writing to help pass on the heritage of Chinese poetry.
 
    The winners' list and their winning entries (Chinese versions only) have been uploaded to the HKPL website at www.hkpl.gov.hk/poetrywriting. This year's winning works will be on display from tomorrow (September 21) until October 25 at the foyer of the South Entrance of the Hong Kong Central Library. A roving exhibition will be held at various public libraries afterwards. For details, please visit the above-mentioned website.
 
     Other guests at the ceremony included adjudicators Professor Ho Man-wui, Professor Wong Kuan-io and Professor Lau Wai-lam. Also adjudicating for this year's competition were Professor Chan Chi-ching, Professor Nicholas Chan and Professor Tang Pui-ling.
 
     The HKPL has been organising the Chinese Poetry Writing Competition annually since 1991, with Chinese shi and ci poetry competitions being held in alternate years. This is the 14th time that participants have taken the opportunity to showcase their literary talent in writing Chinese ci poetry.

    

     The Department of Health (DH) and the Police today (September 20) in a joint operation raided two retail shops in Sheung Shui and Yuen Long for suspected illegal sale and possession of an unregistered pharmaceutical product. Three people were arrested during the operation. 
 
     During market surveillance, the DH found that the two retail shops had been selling an unregistered pharmaceutical product (see photo), which was labeled in Japanese as containing dexamethasone, a Part 1 poison under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (PPO) (Cap 138).
 
     "Dexamethasone is a steroidal substance for treating inflammation. Inappropriate or excessive application of steroids could cause skin problems. Products containing dexamethasone are prescription medicines and should be used under the advice of medical practitioners," the DH spokesman said.
 
     A man aged 20 and two women aged 24 and 50 were arrested by the Police for suspected illegal sale and possession of Part 1 poison and unregistered pharmaceutical product in the operation today. The DH's investigation is continuing.
 
     According to the PPO, all pharmaceutical products must be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong before they can be sold legally in the market. Illegal sale and possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products and Part I poisons are criminal offences. The maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment.
 
     All registered pharmaceutical products should carry a Hong Kong registration number on the package in the format of "HK-XXXXX". The DH strongly urges members of the public not to buy or use unregistered pharmaceutical products as their safety, efficacy and quality are not guaranteed.
 
     Members of the public should not self-medicate without advice from healthcare professionals. People who have purchased the above product should stop using it and consult healthcare professionals if they are in doubt or feeling unwell after use. They may submit the product to the DH's Drug Office at Room 1856, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, during office hours for disposal.

  

     The Hong Kong Electrical and Mechanical (E&M) Trade Promotion Working Group, formed by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) and the E&M trade, held the second "E&M GO!" Orientation Ceremony today (September 20). The event attracted over 600 young trainees who joined E&M training schemes organised by various private and public organisations, with an aim to encourage them to pursue their aspirations in the E&M trade.

     Speaking at the ceremony, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, said that Hong Kong will continue to have a number of infrastructure projects closely related to people's livelihood in the next few years. The number of mechanical and electrical facilities has also increased, thus requiring a large number of mechanical and electrical professionals. He encouraged students to actively equip themselves and develop their strengths in the electromechanical industry, which is filled with development opportunities.

     The Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, Mr Alfred Sit, said that the development of the E&M trade relies on trade and relevant government departments to provide ample opportunities for training and employment to aspiring young people. With joint efforts by various stakeholders, the trade and the EMSD, the number of E&M apprentices has been increasing and would gradually improve the manpower provisions of the trade. He added that it has been a widespread trend for the E&M trade to integrate with new technologies, and encouraged the trainees to better equip themselves for the new opportunities.

     The Working Group has always played important roles in attracting new talents to the industry. With the active participation of the EMSD, the Working Group has organised a number of large-scale promotional events and recruitment expos to boost the professional image and enhance the general public's knowledge of the E&M industry. With the concerted efforts of different stakeholders, the number of E&M trainees in the trade increased by 40 per cent compared with 2013.

     For details about the Working Group please visit the Working Group's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/emengineering).