The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, visited elderly and rehabilitation facilities today (August 28) and met with Tuen Mun District Council (TMDC) members.

     He first called at Chi Lin Care and Attention Home (C&AH) and Chi Lin Day Care Centre for the Elderly in Diamond Hill at noon and visited elderly persons. The medical centre in the C&AH arranges for doctors to provide consultation and health checks for residents. Dental clinics are also available for oral care and dental treatment. Apart from providing personal care, rehabilitation exercises, health education and carers' support for elderly clients, the Day Care Centre also arranges self-care, cognition, behavioural and psychological training to help dementia patients slow down mental deterioration and improve their quality of life.

     The Day Care Centre is a Recognised Service Provider under the Pilot Scheme on Community Care Service Voucher for the Elderly. The Government will increase service vouchers under the Second Phase of the Pilot Scheme to a total of 6 000 from October 2018 onwards to enhance "ageing in place" support for elderly persons with moderate or severe impairment. The Social Welfare Department is inviting eligible non-governmental organisations, social enterprises and private organisations to submit application for joining the scheme by August 31.

     Accompanied by the Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Caspar Tsui, and the District Social Welfare Officer (Tuen Mun), Mr Ricky Yu, Dr Law went to Tuen Mun Long Stay Care Home of the New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association in the afternoon and visited patients with chronic mental illness. The care home provides residential services, care, mental rehabilitation and life skills training for patients in stable condition who still require care, so as to facilitate their integration into the community gradually.

     He toured various facilities and learnt more about the multi-disciplinary care services provided by care attendants, social work personnel and nurses. He noted that the care home was equipped with an anti-wandering system, which helps elderly residents to avoid getting lost, and a ceiling hoist system, which assists residents with impaired mobility to go to the toilet or bath. In addition, physiotherapists and occupational therapists at the care home introduced physical training technology to arouse trainees' interest and enhance the effectiveness of therapy.

     Dr Law said the ageing of persons with disabilities increases the demand for rehabilitation and residential services, and the use of gerontechnology can better address increasingly complex care needs and reduce the burden on care staff. In addition, he added, the Government has allocated additional resources this year to strengthen care for ageing rehabilitation service users.

     After the visit, Dr Law met with TMDC members to discuss labour and welfare matters.

      

     A man was fined $7,000 at Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (August 28) for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
           
     The courts heard that in February this year, officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department, inspected a suspected unlicensed guesthouse on King's Road in North Point. The OLA officers posed as lodgers and successfully rented a room in the guesthouse on a daily basis.
           
     According to the OLA's records, the guesthouse did not possess a licence under the Ordinance on the day of inspection. The man responsible for operating the premises was charged with contravening section 5(1) of the Ordinance.
           
     A department spokesman stressed that operating or managing an unlicensed guesthouse is a criminal offence and will lead to a criminal record. Upon conviction, the offender is liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and two years' imprisonment.
           
     The spokesman appealed to anyone with information about suspected unlicensed guesthouses to report it to the OLA through the hotline (Tel: 2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk), by fax (2504 5805) using the report form downloaded from the OLA website (www.hadla.gov.hk), or through the mobile application "Hong Kong Licensed Hotels and Guesthouses".

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (August 28) that due to big waves, red flag has been hoisted at Hung Shing Yeh Beach in Islands District. Beach-goers are advised not to swim at the beach.

     Following is the English translation of the speech by the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, at the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Conghua Racecourse in Conghua, Guangdong, today (August 28):
 
Mr Song (Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Song Zhe), Mr Chen (Director of the Standing Committee of the Guangzhou Municipal People's Congress, Mr Chen Jianhua), Simon (Chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Dr Simon Ip), Winfried (Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good afternoon. It is my great pleasure to join this event today to celebrate the official opening of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Conghua Racecourse, and witness this historical moment with all of you.
 
     The 16th Asian Games was successfully held in Guangzhou eight years ago, and it was also the first international equestrian event hosted by the Mainland. Given the close co-operation between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, respective Mainland authorities and the Guangdong Provincial Government, the joint effort marked the exemplary achievement of implementing the first internationally recognised Specific Equine Disease-free Zone (Conghua Equine Disease Free Zone) on the Mainland, which enabled horses from overseas to participate in competitions held on the Mainland for the first time. Beyond the expectations of many, this collaboration has created a unique opportunity for the Hong Kong Jockey Club to develop the Asian Games equestrian venue into the current Conghua Racecourse, providing high-quality facilities for horse training.
 
     The newly established Conghua Racecourse is an important support base for Hong Kong racehorses. The HKSAR Government and Mainland authorities signed four collaboration agreements in December 2017, which safeguard the system and co-operation on the operation of the Conghua Equine Disease Free Zone. In addition, with the close Hong Kong-Guangdong co-operation, the disease prevention and control measures could be fully implemented, ensuring the long-term high-health status of horses moving into and out of the Conghua Equine Disease Free Zone. At the same time, the two authorities have also enhanced customs clearance, inspection and quarantine procedures, and successfully implemented the "single approval, multi-entry" equine quarantine and transportation arrangements.
 
     World-class racing in Hong Kong has gained significant international recognition. The HKSAR Government has imposed stringent measures on the import and export of plants and animals, as well as equine quarantine requirements, enabling high-health, high-performance horses from all over the world to join competitions in Hong Kong every year. The establishment of Conghua Racecourse is a collaborative achievement involving the HKSAR and the Mainland, building on the strengths of the Mainland's infrastructural facilities, the HKSAR Government's experience in equine inspection and quarantine, and the Hong Kong Jockey Club's expertise in equestrian sport. The Central Government is supporting the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, leveraging the comparative advantages of Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao as well as enhancing their co-operation and promoting economic growth. For the medical and healthcare field, I led a delegation to Guangzhou, Zhongshan and Shenzhen in early August to study the medical development in the Bay Area. This delegation comprised some 100 representatives from medical institutions and healthcare professional bodies from the HKSAR, reflecting the anticipation of the medical and healthcare sector with regard to the development of the Bay Area. The establishment of Conghua Racecourse is in line with the direction of the Bay Area development, the equestrian sport and related fields in the area, setting an excellent example of the Bay Area development.
 
     The Conghua Equine Disease Free Zone is recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health as a successful application of the concept of an equine disease-free zone. The European Commission has also reaffirmed the high-health status of horses in the Conghua Equine Disease Free Zone. These endorsements demonstrate significant global recognition for the Conghua project.
 
     I believe the establishment of Conghua Racecourse will strengthen the co-operation and exchange between the Mainland and Hong Kong with regard to veterinary science, equine inspection and quarantine procedures, surveillance and control of diseases as well as training of professionals. The HKSAR Government will continue to foster its co-operation with Mainland authorities concerned in ensuring the smooth operation of the Conghua Equine Disease Free Zone.
 
     Lastly, I would like to offer my best wishes for the successful operation and continuous development of Conghua Racecourse, and for all guests to have a happy, healthy and rewarding stay. Thank you very much.

          

     Police today (August 28) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Sham Shui Po.

     Cheung Kang-por, aged 73, went missing after he left an elderly home on Tai Po Road yesterday (August 27) afternoon. Staff of the elderly home made a report to Police on the same day.

     He is about 1.6 metres tall, 50 kilograms in weight and of thin build. He has a long face with yellow complexion and short white hair. He was last seen wearing a dark coloured long-sleeved plaid shirt and dark coloured trousers.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Person Unit of Kowloon West on 3661 8035 or 9020 6542 or email to rmpu-kw-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.