Author Archives: hksar gov

Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:      The Hong Kong Observatory has issued the Very Hot Weather Warning.      To prevent heat stroke, avoid pro… read more

     Tung Wah Group of Hospitals has been issued a Public Subscription Permit to hold a territory-wide flag sale from 7am to 12.30pm today (August 30), a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said. 
      
     Details of the charitable fund-raising activities, including any updated information, covered by the issued Public Subscription Permits have been published on the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/en/theme/fundraising/search). Permits for flag days containing information on contact methods of the flag-selling organisations and the approved flag-selling activities have also been uploaded to the SWD’s website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_controlofc/sub_flagdays) for reference. For enquiries, please call the SWD’s hotline at 2343 2255, or the designated hotline of the 1823 Call Centre at 3142 2678.
      
     In the case of suspected fraudulent flag day activities, people should not make any donation and should immediately report the matter to the Police, the spokesman added.        read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:      Regarding an earlier announcement on Candida auris carrier cases, the spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) gave the following update today (August 29): &nbs… read more

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (August 29) urged the public not to consume a kind of goat cheese imported from France due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a pathogen. The trade should stop using or selling the affected batches of the product immediately if they possess it.

     Product details are as follows:

Product name: PALET DU BERRY
Brand: XAVIER 
Place of origin: France 
Pack size: 150 grams
Lot number: 3288624, 3319239, 3319293 
Best-before date: August 10, 2023; August 25, 2023 and August 31, 2023 
Importer: GOURMET EN PROVENCE LIMITED 

     “The CFS received a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed of the European Commission that the above-mentioned batches of product might have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and are being recalled. Upon learning of the incident, the CFS immediately contacted the concerned local importer for follow-up. A preliminary investigation found that the above-mentioned importer had imported into Hong Kong the affected batches of the product concerned,” a spokesman for the CFS said.

     The importer concerned has stopped sales, has removed the affected product from shelves and has initiated a recall according to the CFS’s instructions. Enquiries about the recall can be made to the importer’s hotline at 3113 1314 during office hours.

     “Listeria monocytogenes can be easily destroyed by cooking but can survive and multiply at refrigerator temperature. Most healthy individuals do not develop symptoms or only have mild symptoms like fever, muscle pain, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea when infected. However, severe complications such as septicaemia, meningitis or even death may occur in newborns, the elderly and those with a weaker immune system. Although infected pregnant women may just experience mild symptoms generally, the infection of Listeria monocytogenes may cause miscarriage, infant death, preterm birth, or severe infection in newborns,” the spokesman said.

     “In order to reduce the risk of listeriosis, susceptible populations such as pregnant women should consume freshly prepared hot food where possible, reheat chilled food until it is hot all the way through, and avoid high-risk foods, including ready-to-eat food such as cold cuts, cold smoked seafood, soft cheeses, salads, etc, or cook them thoroughly before consumption, even if they are presented as part of a dish.”

     The spokesman urged consumers not to consume the affected product if they have bought any. The trade should also stop using or selling the product concerned immediately if they possess it.

     The CFS will alert the trade to the incident, and will continue to follow up and take appropriate action. The investigation is ongoing. read more

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, visited the Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (CMCTR) in Kwai Tsing District today (August 29) to meet representatives of the operating organisation and Chinese medicine practitioners (CMPs) of the CMCTR to get a better grasp of its operation and its involvement in integrated Chinese-Western medicine (ICWM) treatment services.
 
     Accompanied by the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority (HA), Dr Tony Ko, Professor Lo met the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Yan Chai Hospital, Mrs Mary Suen, to learn more about the government-subsidised outpatient services provided by the CMCTR.
 
     Professor Lo said, “Chinese medicine (CM) constitutes an integral part of the healthcare system in Hong Kong. The Government has long been committed to driving the CM development in Hong Kong, with a view to establishing a comprehensive network for delivering government-subsidised CM services to the public. The Government will increase the quota of government-subsidised CM outpatient services at CMCTRs in the 18 districts by the end of this year to implement the policy initiative of raising the service quota to 800 000 per year as outlined in the 2022 Policy Address, thus further reinforcing the role of CM at primary healthcare level. Having regularised ICWM services earlier this year, the HA is also progressively extending such services to more hospitals with more disease areas covered in a bid to bring the strengths of CM and ICWM into full play.”
 
     During the meeting, Professor Lo fully recognised the contributions of CMPs of the CMCTR in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. He was pleased to learn that the CMCTR has geared up to take forward the Government’s policy of increasing the quota of subsidised outpatient services by the end of this year. He is confident that the CMCTR will be able to provide strengthened services to the local community by then.  
 
     The Government commissioned the HA years ago to develop and implement the ICWM Pilot Programme so as to gain more experience in operating ICWM and CM inpatient services. The programme offers ICWM treatment services to in-patients suffering from certain disease areas (namely stroke, musculoskeletal pain and cancer palliative care) at the CMCTRs. At present, a total of eight hospitals participate in the programme in which CMPs and Western medicine (WM) doctors team up to formulate clinical treatment protocol for each of the selected disease areas. Under the programme, CMPs and WM doctors work together to assess the suitability of patients in receiving CM treatment and offer ICWM treatment services to the suitable ones. Patients may join the relevant programme on a voluntary basis.
 
     Among all, the CM team of the CMCTR in Kwai Tsing District work closely with the WM team of Princess Margaret Hospital to provide ICWM services for cancer patients receiving palliative treatment. Professor Lo was pleased to see the seamless collaboration of the two parties. He also expressed his appreciation and support for the CMCTR’s active participation in clinical research projects.
 
     The HA has been progressively extending the ICWM services with respect to stroke care to its public hospitals across all seven hospital clusters in 2023-24. The HA will also further explore commencement of ICWM services with respect to cancer care to support patients in different cancer stages.
 
     Moreover, the HA launched the Greater Bay Area CM Visiting Scholars Programme last November to foster the development of ICWM treatment services. Apart from clinical professional exchanges, the Visiting Scholars Programme also helps nurture local CMPs for enhancing ICWM clinical treatment level with some 30 participating CMPs having received training to date.
 
     Located in all 18 districts across the city, the CMCTRs offer eligible Hong Kong residents government-subsidised CM outpatient services at district level, including treatment-related services in the field of CM outpatient, acupuncture and bone setting/tui-na. On top of the government-subsidised services, the CMCTRs also provide patients with options of non-government-subsidised services. Furthermore, the CMCTRs bear the functions of nurturing CM talent and taking forward scientific research projects.
 
     Deputy Secretary for Health Mr Eddie Lee; the Cluster Chief Executive of Kowloon West Cluster of the HA, Dr Alexander Law; the Acting Commissioner for Chinese Medicine Development of the Health Bureau, Mr Dominic Ho; and the Chief Manager (Chinese Medicine) of the HA, Ms Rowena Wong, accompanied Professor Lo on the visit today.