Tag Archives: China

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA) delegation visited the Sun Yat-sen University (the University) and its First Affiliated Hospital (FAH) in Guangzhou today (February 23) to promote healthcare talents exchange in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), and attended a meeting to explore collaboration so as to enhance the quality of public healthcare services in the GBA.

     The HA Chief Executive, Dr Tony Ko, said, “The Bachelor of Medicine (5-year Clinical Medicine medical program) of the University is one of the medical qualifications recognised by the Special Registration Committee. By visiting these high-quality universities, we hope to let medical students under training learn about the working environment and the advantages of serving in Hong Kong’s public hospitals, with an aim to expand the manpower pool of GBA public healthcare system to cope with the growing service demand.”

     The HA introduced to representatives of the management of the University and its FAH the implementation of the Global Healthcare Talent Scheme and related exchange programmes in the GBA, as well as received a briefing about the University’s clinical medical education.

     The delegation also visited the FAH of the University to learn about the latest developments of healthcare institutions in the Mainland. The FAH is one of the Grade III Class A high-quality hospitals in the Mainland, which provides quality healthcare services, include treatment for critical and complicated diseases, and integrated Chinese and Western medicine service. The FAH has nominated doctors and nurses to participate in the HA GBA Healthcare Talents Exchange Programmes to conduct clinical observership or participate in clinical work in Hong Kong public hospitals, while the radiographers in HA and the FAH of the University had also paid visits to each other under the Programmes to facilitate professional exchange and mutual learning.

     Dr Ko said that, in order to co-operate with the medical and health policies of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and deepen co-operation with relevant institutions in the medical and health field in different cities in the GBA, the The HA will continue to explore collaboration opportunities with different professional institutions in the region in order to improve the level of medical services in the region, cope with the challenges of aging population, and make greater contributions to the health and well-being of the general public. The HA will also continue visits to other medical institutions in the Mainland in the future for further collaboration and exchange.

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     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (February 23) said that, regarding the human case of influenza A (H9) infection announced earlier, the subtype of the virus infected by the 22-month-old girl was confirmed as H9N2 by the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the CHP.

     “According to the whole genome sequencing result, it is believed that the H9N2 virus isolated from sample of the patient are of avian origin. The relevant avian influenza virus showed no re-assortment with genes of human influenza origin. The CHP also found that the relevant H9N2 virus is sensitive to antiviral medicine Tamiflu.” a spokesman for the CHP said.

     The symptoms of the patient had subsided and is still undergoing isolation at Princess Margaret Hospital. She is now in stable condition. Also, the CHP earlier announced that one of her home contacts had presented with upper respiratory tract infection symptoms. Her nasopharyngeal aspirate sample tested negative against influenza A virus.

     The CHP has already notified the health authority of the Mainland and the World Health Organization of the case. The CHP also uploaded the aforementioned genetic sequence result to the international genomic database GISAID. Epidemiological investigation of the case is ongoing.

     Novel influenza A infection, including influenza A (H9), is a notifiable infectious disease in Hong Kong. Influenza A (H9N2) infection is a mild form of avian influenza. Nine cases of influenza A (H9N2) had been reported since 1999. The recent case was an imported case reported in 2020. No deaths have been recorded so far.

     A stringent surveillance mechanism by the CHP with public and private hospitals, with practising doctors and at boundary control points is firmly in place. Suspected cases will be immediately referred to public hospitals for follow-up investigation.

     “Travellers, especially those returning from avian influenza-affected areas and provinces with fever or respiratory symptoms, should immediately wear masks, seek medical attention and reveal their travel history to doctors. Healthcare professionals should pay special attention to patients who might have had contact with poultry, birds or their droppings in affected areas and provinces,” the spokesman advised.

     Members of the public should remain vigilant and take heed of the preventive advice against avian influenza below:
 

• Do not visit live poultry markets. Avoid contact with poultry, birds and their droppings. If contact has been made, thoroughly wash hands with soap;
• Poultry and eggs should be thoroughly cooked before eating;
• Wash hands frequently with soap, especially before touching the mouth, nose or eyes, handling food or eating; after going to the toilet or touching public installations or equipment (including escalator handrails, elevator control panels and door knobs); or when hands are dirtied by respiratory secretions after coughing or sneezing;
• Cover the nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing, hold the spit with a tissue and put it into a covered dustbin;
• Avoid crowded places and contact with fever patients;
• Wear masks when respiratory symptoms develop or when taking care of fever patients;
• Travellers if feeling unwell when outside Hong Kong, especially if having a fever or cough, should wear a surgical mask and inform the hotel staff or tour leader and seek medical advice at once; and
• Travellers returning from affected areas with avian influenza outbreaks should consult doctors promptly if they have flu-like symptoms, and inform the doctor of the travel history and wear a surgical mask to help prevent spread of the disease.

     â€‹The public may visit the CHP’s avian influenza page (www.chp.gov.hk/en/view_content/24244.html) and website (www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/global_statistics_avian_influenza_e.pdf) for more information on avian influenza-affected areas and provinces. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:      The spokesperson for North Lantau Hospital (NLTH) announced a complaint of suspected inappropriate physical examination by a healthcare staff member today (Fe… read more

     A Government spokesman expressed sincere gratitude today (February 23) to the Central Government for the positive response to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSARG)’s proposal of enhancing the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) in an orderly manner and further expanding the eligible cities of the scheme to Xi’an in Shaanxi Province and Qingdao in Shandong Province.
      
     The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, said, “The Central Government has all along been providing staunch support towards Hong Kong’s economy and tourism development. Further enhancement of the IVS is conducive to the development of Hong Kong’s tourism sector and will benefit tourism-related industries such as hotels and retail. Hong Kong will welcome visitors with hospitality, making them feel at home and helping them enjoy the local unique culture. We will also continue to improve Hong Kong’s capacity to receive tourists as well as ensuring the smooth operation of boundary control points, tourist facilities, hotels and public transportation networks. Hong Kong’s capacity to receive tourists has been enhanced following the completion and optimisation of various large-scale cross-boundary infrastructure, tourist facilities, hotels and public transportation networks in the past few years. The Government is confident in providing more tourists from different source markets with quality travel experiences.”

     Mr Yeung said that the recovery of Hong Kong’s tourism industry was strong in the past year. In particular, during the Chinese New Year Golden Week of the Mainland that just ended, the number of Mainland visitors exceeded the level before the pandemic, and the overall number of visitors reached the level before the pandemic. Under the co-ordination and overall planning of the Government, different receiving parties worked strenuously to provide visitors with wonderful travel experiences. The HKSARG is very pleased to learn that the IVS has been further expanded to Xi’an and Qingdao, which will enable residents of both cities to explore and feel the unique metropolitan glamour of Hong Kong in a more flexible and convenient manner.  
      
     He added, “In 2018, the IVS tourists, which accounted for more than 60 per cent of the total number of Mainland visitors visiting Hong Kong, represented an important force in driving the business of tourism-related industries in Hong Kong. It is believed that Xi’an and Qingdao, having a population of over 10 million respectively, will bring along more high-value-added overnight tourists to Hong Kong. We also expect that with more frequent contacts between the residents in Hong Kong and those in Xi’an and Qingdao following the enhancement of the IVS, cultural integration and people-to-people bonds between the two places will be further strengthened.”
      
     Under the IVS, which was implemented on July 28, 2003, in accordance with the main document of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement, eligible residents of the designated Mainland cities can apply for an endorsement to visit Hong Kong in their individual capacity. The IVS was first introduced in four Guangdong cities (namely Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Foshan) and the number of eligible cities was gradually increased in the following years to a total of 49 Mainland cities in 2007. With the expansion of the IVS to cover Xi’an and Qingdao starting from March 6, 2024, designated Mainland cities eligible for the IVS will be increased to 51.
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     A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said today (February 23) that in order to improve the efficiency of evidence collection and to reduce the safety risks to passers-by and law enforcement officers, the FEHD piloted a new enforcement strategy led by video evidence collection in the Yuen Long District, so as to effectively combat unlicensed cooked food hawking activities. 

     The FEHD conducted a pilot enforcement operation codenamed “Nighthawk” against suspected organised unlicensed cooked food hawking activities in the area of Tin Yiu Estate in Tin Shui Wai for two consecutive nights on February 21 and 22, where officers used video recording devices to record illegal acts and information thereat as part of the evidence. Since 2023, the FEHD has recorded 39 complaints in relation to illegal hawking activities at the location. During the operation, the FEHD arrested five persons including four males and one female, aged between 42 and 58, and initiated prosecution against them for illegal hawking and causing obstruction in public place as well as cooking or heating food for the purpose of hawking without a valid licence. Six cooked food trolleys with relevant equipment were seized and about 172 kilograms of food involved were immediately destroyed.

     The spokesman added that the new enforcement strategy could assist frontline staff to collect evidence more effectively, enabling the enforcement officers to arrest the hawkers based on the video evidence even after the offenders have left the scene. This could help avoid confrontations or chaotic situations, minimising risks to passers-by and law enforcement officers, as well as enhancing the effectiveness in curbing unlicensed cooked food hawking activities.

     The spokesman emphasised that since the seized food trolleys were extremely dirty, the source of the seized food was unknown and could be prepared in an substandard environment with poor hygiene conditions, the food could easily be contaminated by unclean utensils and harmful microorganisms, posing a threat to food safety and public health.

     According to the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132), no person shall hawk in any street unless he or she holds a valid hawker licence issued by the FEHD. Offenders can be prosecuted and are liable to a maximum penalty of a fine of $5,000 and one month’s imprisonment for a first conviction, and a fine of $10,000 and six months’ imprisonment for a subsequent conviction. In addition, according to the Hawker Regulation (Cap. 132AI), no person shall, for the purpose of hawking, cook or heat any food or have in his or her possession any cooking stove or heating apparatus intended for cooking or heating food unless he or she holds a licence for operating a cooked food service. Offenders can be prosecuted and are liable to a maximum penalty of a fine of $5,000 and three months’ imprisonment for a first conviction, and a fine of $10,000 and six months’ imprisonment for a subsequent conviction. If unlicensed hawking activities obstruct passageways, law enforcement officers may institute additional prosecutions against offenders who cause obstruction by placing articles in public places under the Summary Offences Ordinance (Cap. 228). Offenders are liable to a fine of $25,000 or imprisonment for three months upon conviction.

     The spokesman stressed that the FEHD will combat unlicensed cooked food hawking activities on an ongoing basis in order to safeguard public health and food safety. The spokesman also reminded members of the public to pay attention to food safety, not to gather and patronise unlicensed cooked food hawkers, and should not take the risk lightly. Having regard to the satisfactory results of the pilot enforcement operation, the FEHD will consider applying the new enforcement strategy to other districts, so to strengthen environmental hygiene-related enforcement work and to consolidate the improvements achieved in environmental hygiene.

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