The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat: The Legislative Council (LegCo) and its Committees will hold 15 open meetings during the week from June 18 to 22 in the LegCo Complex. Details of… read more
Police will implement special traffic arrangements in various districts on June 18 (Monday) to facilitate the public to watch dragon boat races and to ensure smooth vehicular traffic movement and pedestrian safety. &n… read more
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (June 15) investigating a case of severe paediatric enterovirus (EV) infection, and again urged the public and institutions to maintain strict hand, personal and environmental hygiene.
The case involves a 2-month-old baby boy with good past health, who has presented with fever, cough, runny nose, vomiting and diarrhoea since June 7. He was admitted to Prince of Wales Hospital for medical treatment on June 11 and is now in a stable condition.
His cerebrospinal fluid specimen tested positive for EV upon laboratory testing. The clinical diagnosis was meningitis.
Initial enquiries revealed that the patient had no recent travel history. His home contacts remain asymptomatic so far. Investigations are ongoing.
A spokesman for the CHP said that as EV infection is transmitted by direct contact with nose and throat discharges, the public should be vigilant and observe the following preventive measures:
A woman aged 19 was arrested today (June 15) in a joint operation by the Department of Health (DH) and the Police for suspected illegal sale of a slimming product called “MΛTCHΛ SURIMU”, which is suspected to contain an undeclared banned drug ingredient.
From the DH’s market surveillance, a sample of the above slimming product was purchased from an Internet seller for analysis. Test results from the Government Laboratory revealed that the sample contains sibutramine, which is a Part 1 poison under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap 138). During today’s operation, the Police arrested the seller for suspected illegal sale of an unregistered pharmaceutical product and Part 1 poison.
The DH’s investigation is ongoing.
Sibutramine was once used as an appetite suppressant. Since November 2010, products containing sibutramine have been banned in Hong Kong because of increased cardiovascular risk.
According to the Ordinance, all pharmaceutical products must be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong before they can be legally sold in the market. Part 1 poisons can only be sold in a pharmacy under the supervision of a registered pharmacist. Illegal sale of Part 1 poisons and unregistered pharmaceutical products are criminal offences. The maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $100,000 and two years’ imprisonment.
A spokesman for the DH strongly urged members of the public not to buy products of unknown or doubtful composition, or to consume products from unknown sources. All registered pharmaceutical products should carry a Hong Kong registration number on the package in the format of HK-XXXXX. Unregistered pharmaceutical products have not been evaluated by the Board and their safety, quality and efficacy are not guaranteed.
“Weight control should be achieved through a balanced diet and appropriate exercise. The public should consult healthcare professionals before using any medication for weight control,” the spokesman advised.
The public may visit the DH Drug Office’s pages for health messages on weight control and slimming products and information on slimming products with undeclared Western drug ingredients.
Members of the public who have purchased the above product should stop consuming it immediately. They should consult healthcare professionals for advice if they feel unwell or in doubt after consuming the product. 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 Labour Department (LD) is investigating a fatal work accident in Pat Heung this afternoon (June 15), in which a man died. The LD immediately deployed staff to the scene upon receiving a report of… read more