Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, will depart tomorrow (August 27) for Hanoi, Vietnam and Singapore. He will return to Hong Kong on the evening of August 31.
      
     In Vietnam, Mr Tang will call on the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), during which Hong Kong and Vietnam’s Immigration Departments will sign a Memorandum of Understanding on enhancing operational co-operation and experience exchanges in respect of immigration matters. Mr Tang will also meet with representatives of the Department of External Security, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Foreign Relations under the MPS. 

     While in Singapore, he will call on the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Ministry of Manpower and agencies under the MHA’s purview including the Singapore Police Force, the Internal Security Department as well as the Prison Service. He will visit the National Security Coordination Secretariat and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, and Interpol in Singapore. He will meet with the Hong Kong communities in the two places as well.
      
     The Director of Immigration, Mr Au Ka-wang, will accompany Mr Tang’s visit to Vietnam, and the Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Wong Kwok-hing, will join part of the visit to Singapore.
      
     During Mr Tang’s absence, the Under Secretary for Security, Mr Michael Cheuk, will be the Acting Secretary for Security. read more

     Police today (August 26) appealed to the public for information on a woman who went missing in Sau Mau Ping.        Chen Oi-jun, aged 85, went missing after she left her residence in Shun Tin Est… read more

     â€‹Hong Kong Customs yesterday (August 25) seized about three kilograms of suspected methamphetamine with an estimated market value of about $1.5 million in To Kwa Wan. A woman was arrested.

     During an anti-narcotics operation conducted in To Kwa Wan yesterday afternoon, Customs officers intercepted a woman and found the batch of suspected methamphetamine inside a nylon bag carried by her. The woman was subsequently arrested.

     The arrested woman, who claimed to be unemployed, is 26 years old and has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. She will appear at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts next Monday (August 28).

     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) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).

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     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, met with a delegation led by the Director-General of the Department of Medical Emergency Response of the National Health Commission (NHC), Ms Guo Yanhong, today (August 26) to exchange views and have discussion on the collaboration with the Mainland in the realm of organ transplantation, with a view to laying a solid foundation for deepening co-operation ahead.

     Professor Lo said, “The unprecedented cross-boundary organ donation case was completed with resounding success by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Mainland in December last year. Not only did it save the life of a four-month-old baby girl, it also offers an opportunity for the two places to forge ahead the standing collaboration with greater confidence. This also serves to exemplify to the fullest the shared principle and mission of the Mainland and the HKSAR in protecting lives.

     “We are in exploration with the Mainland to push ahead organ donation and transplant co-operation on all fronts, including continuing the drive for in-depth co-operation on communication management, academic exchanges and organ transplant mutual assistance mechanism.”

     Ms Guo introduced at the meeting the situation of organ donation and transplantation in the Mainland. In recent years, the Mainland has established and refined the organ donation and transplantation system with notable achievements. Five major work systems in organ donation, acquisition and allocation, clinical transplantation services, quality control and regulation are now in place, thus setting a work pattern in human organ donation and transplantation that is impartial in science, and can safeguard fairness with adherence to ethics and in line with China’s national conditions and culture. The organ donation and transplantation work in the Mainland has recorded a rapid development, currently ranked second worldwide in the number of organ donation and transplantation, and is among the top level of organ transplantation technology in the world. The proposal by Professor Lo was also well responded to by the Mainland delegation. Next on the list is to press ahead the communication management in cross-boundary organ transplantation, and training to upskill the transplant technology capabilities, as well as to provide support for the standing co-operation through establishment of mechanism and improvement in organ transplant policies.

     Professor Lo added, “The HKSAR Government has deep gratitude to the strong support and collaborative effort of various Mainland authorities. We anticipate more patients will benefit from the organ transplant technology through the setting-up of a standing organ transplant mutual assistance mechanism with the Mainland.”

     The delegation led by Ms Guo arrived Hong Kong yesterday (August 25) for a four-day visit. Members of the delegation include the Director of the Division of Medical Supervision of the Department of Medical Emergency Response of the NHC, Mr Gao Xinqiang; the Chairman of the China Organ Transplantation Development Foundation, Mr Zhao Hongtao; the Director of the Big Data Centre of NHC for Human Tissue, Organ Transplant and Medicine, Professor Wang Haibo; and members of the Scientific Committee of the China Organ Transplant Response System (COTRS), including Dr Dong Jiahong. During their visit to Hong Kong, the delegation will visit Hong Kong Children’s Hospital and Queen Mary Hospital to get a better grasp of the organ donation arrangement and transplant service in Hong Kong. Besides, the delegation is in participation in the ongoing 18th Congress of Asian Society of Transplantation.

     The Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, and the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority, Dr Tony Ko, also attended the meeting today.

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     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (August 26) reminded members of the public, particularly those undertaking outdoor activities, to take heed of necessary measures against heat stroke and sunburn in very hot weather.

     “The public should carry and drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration while engaging in outdoor activities,” a spokesman for the CHP said.

     “Those engaged in strenuous outdoor activities should avoid beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee and tea, as well as alcohol, as they speed up water loss through the urinary system,” the spokesman explained.

     “Children, the elderly, the obese and those with chronic illnesses, such as heart disease or high blood pressure, are more vulnerable to heat stroke. They should pay special attention,” the spokesman added.

     The public should adopt the following precautions:
 

• Wear loose and light-coloured clothing to reduce heat absorption and facilitate sweat evaporation and heat dissipation;
• Avoid vigorous exercise and prolonged activities like hiking or trekking as heat, sweating and exhaustion can place additional demands on the physique;
• Perform outdoor activities in the morning or the late afternoon;
• For indoor activities, open all windows, use a fan or use air-conditioning to maintain good ventilation;
• Do not stay inside a parked vehicle; and
• Reschedule work to cooler times of the day. If working in a hot environment is inevitable, introduce shade in the workplace where practicable. Start work slowly and pick up the pace gradually. Move to a cool area for rest at regular intervals to allow the body to recuperate.

     
     â€‹The public should also note the latest and the forecast Ultraviolet (UV) Index released by the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO). When the UV Index is high (6 or above):
 

• Minimise direct exposure of the skin and the eyes to sunlight;
• Wear long-sleeved and loose-fitting clothes;
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat or use an umbrella;
• Seek a shaded area or put on UV-blocking sunglasses;
• Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen lotion with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or above. Apply liberally and reapply after swimming, sweating or towelling off; and
• While using DEET-containing insect repellents for personal protection against mosquito-borne diseases, apply sunscreen first, then insect repellent.

    If symptoms develop, such as dizziness, headache, nausea, shortness of breath or confusion, rest and seek help immediately, and seek medical advice as soon as possible.

     â€‹The public may obtain more information from the DH’s Health Education Infoline (2833 0111), heat stroke page and UV radiation page; the HKO’s Dial-a-Weather (1878 200), latest weather report and forecast, UV Index and weather information for hiking and mountaineering; and press releases of the Labour Department on precautions against heat stroke for outdoor workers and their employers when the Very Hot Weather Warning is in force. read more