Tag Archives: China

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA) announced the opening of the Hong Kong Poison Control Centre (HKPCC) today (November 24). Responding to the policy direction of “The Chief Executive’s 2022 Policy Address”, the HKPCC will co-ordinate poison control work in the public healthcare sector of Hong Kong to enhance clinical toxicology and treatment for patients suffering from poisoning, so as to safeguard the health and safety of the public.
 
     The opening ceremony was officiated by the Chairman of the HA, Mr Henry Fan; the Permanent Secretary for Health, Mr Thomas Chan; and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam. Other guests at the ceremony included the Chief Executive of the HA, Dr Tony Ko; the Controller of the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health, Dr Edwin Tsui; the Chief Expert of Poison Control, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Sun Chengye; the Chairman of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Poison Treatment Alliance, Dr Lau Fei-lung; and the Medical Director of the HKPCC, Dr Tse Man-li.
 
     Mr Fan said, “The HKPCC has marked a significant milestone in poison control of the public healthcare sector in Hong Kong. From now on, poison information consultation, toxicology laboratory services and treatment will be integrated, which helps enhance resources utilisation and service efficiency.”
 
     Currently, the HA’s clinical toxicology service is mainly provided by four different units, namely the Hong Kong Poison Information Centre at United Christian Hospital （UCH), which offers 24-hour telephone consultation and guidance services; the Poison Treatment Centre at Prince of Wales Hospital, which provides treatment especially for patients with unusual poisoning; the Toxicology Reference Laboratory at Princess Margaret Hospital, which offers tertiary clinical toxicology laboratory services, and the Toxicovigilance Team of the Chief Pharmacist’s Office at HA Head Office, which is responsible for monitoring poisoning reports and the alert system, jointly supporting the development of clinical toxicology services in public hospitals.
 
     The HKPCC will gradually integrate relevant services to strengthen the poison control and treatment for patients suffering from poisoning so as to render a swift response and co-ordinated treatment during large-scale poisoning incidents to ascertain the safety and health of the public. The HKPCC has expanded, or will expand its services in different areas in the future, as follows:
 

• The HKPCC has recently established an Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine (ICWM) Treatment Safety Office to make recommendations on ICWM applications, to update and evaluate safety guidelines regularly, and to provide training for Chinese medicine practitioners and dispensers to ensure medication safety for supporting ICWM development;
• Set up a Drug of Abuse (DoA) Early Warning Office to enhance reports and provide a prompt warning of emerging novel DoAs to government departments to safeguard the health and safety of the public;
• Set up an Antidote Coordination Office for central stockpiling and co-ordination of antidote applications; and
• Open a Poison Treatment Unit at UCH to strengthen in-patient clinical toxicology services.

     Mr Fan said that the HA will continue to strengthen poison control and treatment, amid enhanced emergency treatment in Hong Kong and the Mainland through exchanges and co-operation with medical institutions in the Greater Bay Area. read more

     â€‹Hong Kong Customs detected three dangerous drugs cases at Hong Kong International Airport in the past two days (November 22 and 23) and seized about 2.7 kilograms of suspected cocaine and about 2.1kg of suspected heroin with a total estimated market value of about $4.6 million. Two men and two women were arrested.

     The first case involved a 33-year-old male passenger and a 45-year-old female passenger who arrived in Hong Kong from Sao Paulo, Brazil, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Bangkok, Thailand, on November 22. During customs clearance, Customs officers suspected that the passengers had dangerous drugs concealed inside their body cavities. They were then escorted to the hospital for examination. Upon examination, the duo were confirmed by doctors to have foreign objects concealed inside their body cavities. They were arrested immediately. As at 3pm today (November 24), the arrested persons have discharged 282 pellets of suspected cocaine weighing about 1.7kg in total. 

     In the second case, a 45-year-old female passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, yesterday. She was suspected to have dangerous drugs concealed inside her body cavity during customs clearance and was arranged to be brought to the hospital for examination. Later, she discharged a small amount of suspected cocaine and was thus arrested. A doctor also confirmed that foreign objects were concealed inside her body cavity. As at 3pm today, the arrested person has excreted 41 pellets of suspected cocaine weighing about 1kg in total. 

     The third case involved a male passenger, aged 31 and arriving in Hong Kong from Penang, Malaysia, yesterday. During customs clearance, Customs officers found six pieces of suspected heroin with a total weight of 2.1kg were strapped around his waist. He was subsequently arrested.

     The two arrested persons of the first case will each be charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug, whereas the arrested man involved in the third case has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. The two cases will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (November 25). 

     The investigation of the second case is ongoing. 

     Following the resumption of normal travel and exchanges with the Mainland and other parts of the world, the number of visitors to Hong Kong has also been increasing steadily. Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.

     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 7th Singapore-Hong Kong Permanent Secretaries Exchange Programme successfully concluded today (November 24). The two-day Exchange Programme provides an important platform for senior civil servants in the two governments to share views and to strengthen co-operation.

     This morning, the visiting Singapore delegation of the Exchange Programme met with the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki. Mr Chan welcomed the visit of the Singapore Permanent Secretaries delegation to Hong Kong. He said that with the resumption of full normalcy of Hong Kong and Singapore as they recovered from the pandemic, exchange programmes between the two places have immediately resumed in an orderly manner, demonstrating the strong partnership between the two governments. During the meeting, both sides also exchanged their views and experience on the policy initiatives in building a caring and inclusive society.

     During the day, the delegation visited the Northern Metropolis and San Tin Technopole, and was briefed on this ambitious project which serves as a new engine for Hong Kong’s strategic development in the future. The Singapore Permanent Secretaries then had their bilateral sessions with their Hong Kong counterparts on respective policy areas ranging from civil service, culture and youth, to trade development, communications and information technology.

     Yesterday (November 23), the delegation had a roundtable discussion with Permanent Secretaries from various government bureaux on three topics of mutual interest, namely youth and talent development, ageing population and public service transformation, in which the top-tier civil servants of the two sides shared experience and expertise. The delegation then met the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, to discuss how Hong Kong and Singapore can further strengthen ties and deepen exchanges on a government-to-government level. The delegation also had a visit to Tai Kwun and the Hong Kong Palace Museum to understand the heritage conservation efforts and experience the cultural glamour of Hong Kong that integrates East and West.

     The last Exchange Programme was held in Hong Kong on March 14 and 15, 2018, and had since been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In July earlier this year, during his visit to Singapore, the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met with the Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Hsien Loong. The two leaders agreed to resume the exchanges between Singapore and Hong Kong civil service, including this Exchange Programme, to renew relations and deepen ties.

     The current Exchange Programme was joined by six Permanent Secretaries/deputies from Singapore and seven Permanent Secretaries from Hong Kong.

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     Police today (November 24) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Tuen Mun.      Chik Tak-yuen, aged 74, went missing after he left his residence in Tai Hing Estate on October… read more

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (November 24) investigating an outbreak of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) at a special school in North District, and appeals to members of the public and staff of institutions to stay alert and maintain strict personal and environmental hygiene.

     The outbreak involves 16 students, comprising 13 males and three females aged 7 to 18, and six staff members. They developed symptoms since November 8. Fourteen of them sought medical attention. All are in stable condition and none required hospitalisation.

     The CHP has provided preventive advice against URTI to the school, such as advising the school to arrange cleaning and disinfection, to open windows where appropriate for better ventilation and to separate affected students from other students, etc. The school has been placed under medical surveillance.

     The public should maintain good personal and environmental hygiene against influenza and other respiratory illnesses and note the following:
 

• Receive seasonal influenza vaccination for personal protection;
• Surgical masks can prevent transmission of respiratory viruses from ill persons. It is essential for persons who are symptomatic (even if having mild symptoms) to wear a surgical mask;
• For high-risk persons (e.g. persons with underlying medical conditions or persons who are immunocompromised), wear a surgical mask when taking public transport or staying in crowded places. It is important to wear a mask properly, including performing hand hygiene before wearing and after removing a mask;
• Avoid touching one’s eyes, mouth and nose;
• Wash hands with liquid soap and water properly whenever possibly contaminated;
• When hands are not visibly soiled, clean them with 70 to 80 per cent alcohol-based handrub;
• Cover the nose and mouth with tissue paper when sneezing or coughing. Dispose of soiled tissue paper properly into a lidded rubbish bin, and wash hands thoroughly afterwards;
• Maintain good indoor ventilation;
• When having respiratory symptoms, wear a surgical mask, refrain from work or attending classes at school, avoid going to crowded places and seek medical advice promptly; and
• Maintain a balanced diet, exercise regularly, take adequate rest, do not smoke and avoid overstress.

     â€‹â€‹Members of the public, particularly children, the elderly and those with chronic diseases, should consult a doctor promptly if they develop symptoms of respiratory tract infection. read more