Author Archives: hksar gov

    The Department of Health (DH) announced today (December 30) that from Wednesday (January 1, 2025), Hong Kong residents born between 1949 and 1975 will be eligible to enrol in the Government-subsidised Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme (CRCSP). The DH also urges eligible persons to participate in the CRCSP as early as possible and to adopt healthy lifestyles to prevent colorectal cancer.

     Under the CRCSP, asymptomatic Hong Kong residents aged between 50 and 75 are subsidised to undergo screening tests every two years in the private sector for the prevention of colorectal cancer.

     Participants in the CRCSP should first attend a medical consultation provided by an enrolled primary care doctor (PCD) and receive a Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) screening arranged by the PCD. If the FIT result is positive, the participant will be referred to an enrolled colonoscopy specialist to receive a colonoscopy examination subsidised by the Government. If the FIT result is negative, the participant is advised to repeat the screening two years later.
 
       This year (as of December 1) there have been around 80 500 new participants in the CRCSP, which has reached a record high since its launch in 2016, bringing the total number of eligible participants to approximately 507 000 persons. A cumulative total of about 75 700 persons (15 per cent) had positive FIT screening results, about 39 000 persons (7.7 per cent) were diagnosed to have colorectal adenomas after colonoscopy examination, and about 3 300 persons (0.7 per cent) had colorectal cancer.
 
     Among the colorectal cancer cases diagnosed under the CRCSP, a preliminary analysis of around 2 400 cases revealed that about 56 per cent of these cases were in earlier stages and therefore had a more favourable prognosis.

     “Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer locally and the second most common cause of cancer death in Hong Kong. In 2022, there were 5 190 newly diagnosed colorectal cancer cases, and colorectal cancer led to 2 270 deaths. Colorectal Cancer screenings can identify people who have colorectal cancer before they present with symptoms or those at higher risk of colorectal cancer, and enable them to receive early treatment, thus significantly improving prognosis. Removing colorectal adenoma during a colonoscopy can prevent the adenoma from developing into cancer,” a spokesman for the DH said.
 
     Currently, around 1 080 PCDs have enrolled in the CRCSP, covering about 2 050 locations, and about 97 per cent of these locations will not charge any additional payment for the consultation or the FIT screening. Around 260 colonoscopy specialists have also joined the CRCSP. The colonoscopy specialists can only charge participants a co-payment of no more than $1,000 for providing standard colonoscopy examination services. Currently, colonoscopy examination services are available at about 770 service locations, with over 70 per cent of these locations not charging any additional payment for colonoscopy and polyp removal.
 
     The spokesman called on eligible persons to join the CRCSP starting at age 50 and to prevent colorectal cancer by leading a healthy lifestyle that includes exercising regularly, eating two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables daily, maintaining a healthy body weight, and avoiding smoking and alcohol drinking. Participants are also encouraged to invite eligible relatives and friends to join the CRCSP. 

     At the same time, the Primary Healthcare Commission is actively promoting the Life Course Preventive Care Plan. Based on the core principles of prevention-oriented and whole-person care, a personalised preventive care plan will be formulated to address the health needs of citizens across different life stages with reference to the latest evidence. Family doctors and primary healthcare professionals will collaborate to provide health advice and education on chronic disease and cancer screening, healthy lifestyles, and vaccination according to age, sex and personal factors such as family history, including recommendations on colorectal cancer screening for those aged 50 or above. Furthermore, as set out in “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address”, the Government will formulate risk-based screening programmes for prevalent cancers on a gradual basis, including breast cancer screening, exploring the use of artificial intelligence to assist lung cancer screening, and implementing hepatitis B screening to prevent liver cancer. The Government will continue to actively follow up on the relevant work.

     The years of birth for eligible persons are updated at the beginning of each year. Eligible persons who are interested in joining the CRCSP must enrol in the Electronic Health Record Sharing System (eHRSS). Please refer to the eHRSS website at www.ehealth.gov.hk or call the Registration Office at 3467 6300 for details.
 
     For more information on the CRCSP, please visit the DH’s thematic website www.colonscreen.gov.hk or call the dedicated hotline (3565 6288) during office hours. read more

     In response to the Japanese Government’s plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.
 
     For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will conduct comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
 
     As the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is unprecedented and will continue for 30 years or more, the Government will closely monitor and step up the testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
 
     From noon on December 27 to noon today (December 30), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 311 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the “aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt” category, in the past three days (including last Saturday and Sunday). No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS’s thematic website titled “Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan” (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).
 
     In parallel, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 150 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD’s website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).
 
     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO’s website
(www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).
 
     From August 24, 2023, to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 107 942 samples of food imported from Japan (including 70 151 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 24 618 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests. read more

     The Transport Department (TD) today (December 30) reminded members of the public that the following temporary traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented on Tai Hom Road from 1am to 5.30am this Sunday (January 5) to facilitate footbridge erection works:

(A) Road closures
—————–
 
     The following road sections will be temporarily closed to all vehicular traffic:
 

• Tai Hom Road between Lung Poon Street and Sheung Yuen Street; and
• The slip road leading from Tai Hom Road to Tate’s Cairn Highway.

 
(B) Traffic diversions
 ——————-
 

• Affected vehicles on Fung Tak Road westbound via Lung Poon Street southbound heading for Lung Cheung Road eastbound will be diverted via Po Kong Village Road southbound, slip road, Tai Hom Road, Lung Poon Street northbound, Fung Tak Road eastbound, roundabout and Hammer Hill Road southbound; and
• Affected vehicles on Tai Hom Road heading for Tate’s Cairn Highway will be diverted via Lung Poon Street northbound, Fung Tak Road eastbound, roundabout, Hammer Hill Road southbound, slip road, Lung Cheung Road eastbound, Choi Hung Interchange, Lung Cheung Road westbound, slip road and Tate’s Cairn Highway northbound.  

 
(C) Public transport arrangements
——————————–
 
     During the above works period, the following bus routes affected by the temporary road closures will be diverted:
 

• Citybus Route Nos. E22 (Lam Tin (North) bound), E22A (Tseung Kwan O (Hong Sing Garden) bound), A28 (LOHAS Park bound), A29 (Tseung Kwan O (Po Lam) bound), N26 (Yau Tong bound), NA29 (Tseung Kwan O (Po Lam) bound) and N29 (Tseung Kwan O (Hong Sing Garden) bound);
• KMB Route Nos. 38 (Ping Tin bound), 40 (Laguna City bound) and 214 (Yau Tong bound); and
• Huanggang Short-haul cross-boundary coach service Kwun Tong Route (Kwun Tong bound).

 
     Their stops/drop-off point on Tai Hom Road or Sheung Yuen Street will be temporarily relocated to Lung Poon Street northbound near Lung Bik House. Please visit the TD’s website for details (www.td.gov.hk/en/traffic_notices/index_id_78675.html).
 
     Appropriate traffic signs will be erected on-site to guide motorists. Public transport operators will display notices informing passengers of the above temporary arrangements. The TD anticipates that the travelling time at the road sections concerned will be slightly lengthened due to the diversion arrangements. Motorists should exercise tolerance and patience.
 
     Members of the public are advised to plan their journeys in advance and allow sufficient travelling time, and stay alert to the latest traffic news through the media or the TD’s mobile application “HKeMobility” or website (www.td.gov.hk). read more

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Monday, December 30, 2024 is 107.7 (up 0.1 against last Saturday’s index).

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Saturday, December 28, 2024 was 107.6 (down 0.1 against last Friday’s index). read more

     Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident in Yau Ma Tei this morning (December 30) in which a man died.      At about 10.07am, a private car driven by a 42-year-old man was travelling along Jordan… read more