The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, led a delegation comprising representatives of the Health Bureau (HHB), the Department of Health (DH) and the Hospital Authority (HA), together with the Chairman of the Panel on Health Services of the Legislative Council (LegCo), Ms Chan Hoi-yan; and its Deputy Chairman, Dr David Lam; as well as other LegCo Members, to pay a duty visit to two Tier III Class A hospitals in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), namely ZhongShan Chenxinghai Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine (ZS CXH Hospital) and the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH), today (June 22). This visit aimed to enable the delegation to have a better grasp of the latest services, facilities and medical standards of Tier III Class A hospitals in the Mainland and exchange views on ways to boost cross-boundary medical collaboration.

     The delegation went to ZS CXH Hospital in Zhongshan in the morning. ZS CXH Hospital is the very first Tier III Class A hospital of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine co-developed by Guangdong and Hong Kong. The hospital was among the first batch of designated healthcare institutions being allowed to use Hong Kong-registered drugs and medical devices used in Hong Kong public hospitals since 2021. It was also included in the Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme (Pilot Scheme) this February. The delegation toured multiple departments of the hospital, including the Health Management Center, Integrated Endoscopy Center, Health Construction Administration and Rehabilitation Department, International Medical Center, Stomatology Department and 3D Printing Application Center, and had a hands-on experience on the flow of receiving medical services there. Representatives of the hospital also introduced to the delegation the healthcare and supporting services available for Hong Kong and Macao citizens, so as to deepen their understanding of the facilities, operation and service standards of a Tier III Class A hospital in the Mainland.

     In the afternoon, the delegation headed to Shenzhen to visit the HKU-SZH. Operated under the model of modern management and co-operation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, the HKU-SZH is an integrated Tier III Class A hospital which has always been the pilot trial institution and the largest platform for propelling cross-boundary medical collaboration. It is the very first GBA Mainland medical institution where Elderly Health Care Vouchers (EHCVs) can be used to pay for designated out-patient service since 2015. In 2021, the HKU-SZH was designated as the only healthcare institution to implement the measure of using Hong Kong-registered drugs and medical devices used in Hong Kong public hospitals in the GBA on a trial basis, and then became one of the first batch of designated healthcare institutions being allowed to use Hong Kong-registered drugs and medical devices used in Hong Kong public hospitals in the same year. Moreover, the hospital rolled out the Pilot Scheme for Supporting Patients of Hospital Authority in the GBA starting from last year. Having toured departments such as the out-patient pharmacy, the Department of Family Medicine and the Department of Dental Surgery in the hospital, the delegation was also briefed by the representatives of the hospital on the experience and practical arrangement in relation to the provision of cross-boundary medical services.

     During the visit at the HKU-SZH, the HHB personnel also introduced the two new functions of the eHealth mobile application, namely "Cross-boundary Health Record" and "Personal Folder", which will be launched at the HKU-SZH on a trial basis from July 15 onwards to facilitate cross-boundary medical collaboration. The "Cross-boundary Health Record" function is only applicable to hospitals outside Hong Kong that are specified and certified by the HHB to ensure the safety of citizens' medical data. The HHB will launch the pilot at the HKU-SZH and the healthcare professionals there will be able to browse the copies of electronic health records deposited in the eHealth accounts of eligible EHCV users over the past three years, upon presentation of relevant QR codes by the elderly persons. Meanwhile, the "Personal Folder" function enables eHealth users to deposit medical records obtained during consultations in medical institutions outside Hong Kong into their eHealth personal accounts, which will facilitate the storage and usage of personal medical records obtained in and outside of Hong Kong. Under the eHealth+ development plan, the HHB will continue to spare no efforts in enhancing the portability and cross-boundary application of electronic health records in a secured and orderly manner, such that Hong Kong citizens can benefit from more coherent healthcare services.

     Professor Lo said, "With the more frequent travelling to and fro the Mainland, demand of Hong Kong citizens for healthcare services in the Mainland has been on the rise, while attaching greater importance to Chinese medicine for disease prevention and treatment. Today's exchange programme not only enhanced the delegation's understanding of the services and operation of the Tier III Class A hospitals in the Mainland, but also increased the relevant medical institutions' awareness of the medical needs of Hong Kong citizens, thereby facilitating the launch of cross-boundary medical collaboration in the future and provision of suitable healthcare services to Hong Kong citizens.

     "The Chief Executive adopted cross-boundary medical collaboration as one of the subtitles for the first time in his 2023 Policy Address, demonstrating how deep the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government values medical collaboration with the Mainland. We will continue to press ahead with relevant measures at full steam, including the launch of the Pilot Scheme to offer eligible Hong Kong elderly persons additional options of services points for using the EHCVs in the GBA, roll-out of the Pilot Scheme for Direct Cross-Boundary Ambulance Transfer in the GBA, continuous implementation of the Pilot Scheme for Supporting Patients of Hospital Authority in GBA, as well as exploration of strategic purchasing of healthcare services from suitable GBA healthcare institutions for Hong Kong citizens. The HHB will uphold the principles of complementarity and mutual benefits to ramp up healthcare co-operation with various Mainland cities of the GBA on the premise of benefitting the development of the healthcare systems of Hong Kong and the Mainland with the objectives of enhancing the healthcare standards of the two places and pushing forward the national strategy of 'Healthy China' through concerted efforts."

     Professor Lo emphasised that the HKSAR Government stays committed to fulfilling the important role of safeguarding the well-being of Hong Kong citizens by continuing to provide them with quality healthcare services and will never shift the responsibility of taking care of the well-being of Hong Kong citizens to the Mainland healthcare system. He said that, in formulating cross-boundary healthcare measures, the HKSAR Government would support the healthcare needs of Hong Kong citizens who choose to pursue development and live in the Mainland, while taking into account the potential impact of the measures on the social resources and livelihood of the citizens in the Mainland.

     The Permanent Secretary for Health, Mr Thomas Chan, also joined the visit programme. The delegation returned to Hong Kong in the evening.

                

     The Home Affairs Department will continue to open 19 community halls/community centres as temporary heat shelters today (June 22).
 
     The temporary heat shelters will remain open for people to take refuge from the heat when the Very Hot Weather Warning is in force. From 10.30pm to 8am the next day, the temporary heat shelters will also provide bedding and a sleeping place for people in need. The shelters are manned by duty attendants.
 
     For further information, please call the department's hotline before midnight on 2572 8427.
 
     The heat shelters are located at:
 
Hong Kong Island:
———————
 
Central and Western –
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex
2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun
 
Eastern –
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay
 
Southern –
Lei Tung Community Hall
Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau
 
Wan Chai –
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai
 
Kowloon Districts:
——————
 
Kowloon City –
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom
 
Kwun Tong –
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin
 
Sham Shui Po –
Shek Kip Mei Community Hall
G/F, Block 42, Shek Kip Mei Estate, Sham Shui Po
 
Wong Tai Sin –
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan
 
Yau Tsim Mong –
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei
 
New Territories Districts:
————————–
 
Islands –
Tung Chung Community Hall
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building, 39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung
 
Kwai Tsing –
Kwai Shing Community Hall
Podium, Block 6, Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung
 
North –
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling
 
Sai Kung –
Hang Hau Community Hall
G/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex, 38 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O
 
Sha Tin –
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin
 
Tai Po –
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
 
Tsuen Wan –
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan
 
Tuen Mun –
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun
 
Yuen Long –
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long
 
Yuen Long –
Tin Yiu Community Centre
Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shui Wai
 
     In addition to the above heat shelters, a number of community halls/community centres can also be used for taking refuge from the heat during their operating hours. For their address details, please browse the following document: www.had.gov.hk/file_manager/en/documents/public_services/emergency_services/List_CH_CC_Day_E.pdf.

     The Commissioner for Census and Statistics, Mr Leo Yu, officiated at the prize presentation ceremony of the 2023/24 Statistical Project Competition (SPC) for Secondary School Students of the Hong Kong Statistical Society today (June 22). Principal Assistant Secretary for Education Ms Edith Tse also attended as an officiating guest. The President of the Hong Kong Statistical Society, Professor Chan Ngai-hang; the Chief Adjudicator of the competition, Professor Cheung Ka-chun; the Head of Index Strategic Research of Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited (sponsor of the competition), Mr Danny Chu; and representative of the Department of Management Sciences of City University of Hong Kong (sponsor of the thematic prize) Ms Teresa Ng also presented prizes to the winning teams and extended their congratulations to every member of the teams.
 
     Addressing the prize presentation ceremony, Mr Yu was pleased to note that a growing number of schools have participated in the competition in recent years, while the quality of entries has continued to improve under the unfailing support from the principals and teachers. This reflects not only the importance that the schools have attached to the application of statistical theories, but also the ever-growing interest and passion for statistics among secondary school students. With the advent of the big data era, statistical analysis skills are highly valued. He encouraged students to learn and blossom through participating in the competition, consolidate their statistical knowledge and develop analytical and problem-solving skills to lay a solid foundation for future development. 
 
     This edition of the competition received an encouraging response of 232 statistical projects from about 870 secondary school students, covering a broad spectrum of topics. Moreover, the number of participating schools has reached a record high, reflecting the overwhelming responses and promising support from the academia. Participating students were able to utilise official statistics as the main source of data to analyse and interpret social and economic issues in Hong Kong.
 
     The 2023/24 SPC, co-organised by the Hong Kong Statistical Society and the Education Bureau, is the 38th edition of the competition. The Commissioner for Census and Statistics is the patron of the competition. Over the past years, many statistician-grade staff members of the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) have proactively participated in the organisation and professional adjudication of the SPC in the capacity of members of the Hong Kong Statistical Society, with the aim of improving statistical literacy among secondary school students and promoting the application and importance of statistics in society. This fully demonstrates that the C&SD attaches great importance and commitment to nurturing young talent.
 
     The key objectives of the competition are to promote the interest of secondary school students in research methods, statistics and statistical techniques; encourage students to understand the local community in a scientific and objective manner through the proper use of statistics; and promote a sense of civic awareness.
 
     Members of the public are welcome to visit the webpage of the competition for the list of winners this year (www.hkss.org.hk/index.php/spc$en).

        

     The Auxiliary Medical Service (AMS) and Saint Francis University (SFU) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) today (June 22) to officially launch a series of academic collaborations and programmes regarding youth nurturing and development. The co-operation will allow youths to put their knowledge into practice and serve the community through education and activities such as medical and healthcare training, volunteer service, and life planning that promote a diversified development path, as well as academic collaborations which include research, sharing of information and data, and seminars.
      
     Witnessed by the Under Secretary for Security, Mr Michael Cheuk, and the Vice-Chairperson of SFU's Council, Reverend Joseph Yim, the MOU was signed by the Chief Staff Officer of the AMS, Mr Wong Ying-keung, and the Acting President of SFU, Professor Lo Tit-wing.
      
     Addressing the ceremony, Mr Cheuk expressed his hope that the AMS and SFU will further foster collaboration in different academic aspects. By enriching members’ knowledge in the healthcare profession and raising their interest to join the public health sector in the future, the AMS Cadet Corps will become a cradle to nurture more healthcare professionals with quality.
      
     Reverend Yim said he hoped that through the partnership between the two parties, young people will have more opportunities to access information about different professional industries and explore various possibilities. He also encouraged students from different backgrounds to continuously equip themselves to join professional industries in the future, realise better opportunities for upward mobility, and use their talent to contribute to society and the country.  

    

     The Executive Committee Chairman of the Community Chest of Hong Kong, Dr Kwok Siu-ming, inspected the passing-out parade for 21 probationary inspectors and 157 recruit police constables at the Hong Kong Police College today (June 22).
      
     Dr Kwok said in his speech that Hong Kong, as an international financial centre and free trade port, is one of the safest and most stable cities in the world, which is attributable to its robust legal system and an efficient and professional Police Force. He also described the Force as the pillar for maintaining public safety, playing a key role in law enforcement and crime fighting.
      
     He added that Hong Kong was fortunate to have the Force to stand at the forefront to maintain social order and safeguard the life and property of citizens during the black–clad violence in 2019. He thanked the Force for its selfless efforts in restoring Hong Kong to normality and stability swiftly, thus achieving a major transition from chaos to order and embarking on a new era of advancing from stability to prosperity.
      
     He recognised that the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, which came into effect in March this year, plays an irreplaceable role in maintaining the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong. He added that it also contributes to the steadfast implementation of "One Country, Two Systems", which provides solid legal protection for both Hong Kong citizens and international investors, and ensures long-term stability of the society. Noting that social stability is crucial to creating a favourable business environment, he strongly supported the implementation of the Ordinance. He believed that the citizens and enterprises can only have a stable environment to live and operate businesses, and the economy can achieve sustainable growth when the Force is a high quality and professional team.
      
     Dr Kwok greatly appreciated the works of the Force in supporting the underprivileged, which is in line with the mission of the Hong Kong Community Chest, saying that the Force has all along been serving the community with a people-oriented spirit, and dedicated to building a caring society through organising various charitable fund-raising activities and volunteer works, and thus fostering a culture of giving and making contribution to the society.
      
     Finally, he told the graduates that the Police College does not only train up their physical fitness or legal knowledge, but more importantly, also cultivates their self-discipline and integrity. He encouraged them to make use of the valuable knowledge, skills and values learned during their training to face future challenges and opportunities. He also reminded graduates to uphold their belief and original aspiration in times of difficulties and pressures, move forward bravely and strive to achieve their goals.