With a view to further facilitating the walk-in emergency dental services for members of the public, the Department of Health (DH) today (May 27) said that starting from June 11, the registration time for the preliminary registration arrangements at its nine dental clinics providing general public sessions will be advanced from midnight on the day of service to 8pm on the day before service, allowing people in the queue to leave at an earlier time after preliminary registration.

     The nine relevant dental clinics located in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories (except those on outlying islands) are Kennedy Town Community Complex Dental Clinic, Kowloon City Dental Clinic, Kwun Tong Dental Clinic, Mona Fong Dental Clinic, Tai Po Wong Siu Ching Dental Clinic, Fanling Health Centre Dental Clinic, Tsuen Wan Dental Clinic, Yan Oi Dental Clinic and Yuen Long Government Offices Dental Clinic. From June 11, the nine dental clinics will preliminarily register personal information for people in the queue and verify the originals of their identity documents starting at 8pm on the day before providing general public dental services. Each person can only register once. Staff would cease the preliminary registration when the number of registered persons reached the quota of the general public sessions. Those who have finished preliminary registration can leave the clinic immediately and do not have to continue waiting. They should return to the relevant clinics at the scheduled disc-distributing time in the morning on the service day (in the afternoon on the service day for Mona Fong Dental Clinic) to obtain a disc, register formally in order and receive treatment. The DH has recruited additional staff to maintain order.

     For the sake of clarity, the preliminary registration arrangements for the general public sessions on June 11 will start at 8pm on the day before (i.e. June 10). Notices detailing the new arrangements and logistics will be displayed at conspicuous locations of the clinics. The addresses and time of operation of the relevant dental clinics can be viewed at website www.dh.gov.hk/english/tele/tele_chc/tele_chc_dcgps.html.

     In addition, the development of software and systems by the DH is in full progress, with an aim to roll out an online disc distribution and registration system for the general public dental services this year. By then, there will be no need for the public to queue in person to obtain a disc. Meanwhile, the system can provide the public with real-time information on available quotas to ensure full utilisation.

     Meanwhile, the Government is strenuously planning a series of measures to effectively enhance the local public dental services, including the collaboration with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to strengthen in the next year the emergency dental services targeting the underprivileged groups with financial difficulties through an expansion of service capacity, service points and service scope, thus promoting early identification and timely intervention of dental diseases. The target is to provide additional service capacity that will be at least twice the capacity provided by the current dental general public sessions. The programme details will be announced in due course.

     The dental clinics under the DH are mainly responsible for providing dental benefits for civil servants/pensioners and their eligible dependents as required of the Government as terms of employment for civil servants, and therefore civil servants/pensioners and their eligible dependents are the major service targets of these clinics. Currently, dental care services in Hong Kong are mainly provided by the private sector and NGOs. The DH provides general public sessions to offer free emergency dental treatments (including general public sessions to provide treatment of acute dental diseases, prescription for pain relief, treatment of oral abscess and teeth extraction) to the public through designated sessions in 11 government dental clinics of the DH.

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (May 27) announced that the test results of 46 rice dumpling samples collected under a recently completed seasonal food surveillance project on rice dumplings (first phase) were all satisfactory.
 
     Rice dumplings are a popular festive food for the Tuen Ng Festival. The project aims to provide information on safe consumption of rice dumplings to consumers and the trade in a timely manner.
 
     "The CFS collected samples of rice dumplings from different retail outlets (including online retailers) and food premises (including restaurants and food factories) for chemical and microbiological analyses. The chemical analyses included tests for colouring matters, preservatives, metallic contamination and pesticide residues. The microbiological analyses covered Salmonella, coagulase-positive staphylococci organisms, Clostridium perfringens and Bacillus cereus," a spokesman for the CFS said.
 
     The spokesman reminded members of the public to observe the following food safety tips in purchasing, preparing, storing and consuming rice dumplings:
 
Buying rice dumplings
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* Buy rice dumplings from reliable outlets;
* When purchasing non-prepackaged rice dumplings, choose those that are securely wrapped in wrapping leaves; and
* When purchasing prepackaged rice dumplings, check the expiry date and whether the packaging is intact.
 
Home-made rice dumplings
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* Buy wrapping leaves from reliable suppliers and avoid leaves that are unnaturally bright green or with chemical odours;
* Wash hands and utensils thoroughly before and after handling food; and
* Handle raw and cooked food separately to avoid cross-contamination.
 
Storing and preparing rice dumplings
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* Consume rice dumplings as soon as possible and avoid prolonged storage;
* Both the glutinous rice and stuffing should be well covered until the rice dumplings are unwrapped. Do not come into direct contact with the strings upon cooking to prevent contamination at all times.
* Store rice dumplings at 4 degrees Celsius or below, or store them properly according to the instructions on the package if they are not consumed or cooked immediately;
* Keep cooked rice dumplings that are not consumed immediately in a covered container and put them in the upper compartment of the refrigerator. Keep raw food in the lower compartment to prevent cross-contamination;
* Reheat rice dumplings thoroughly until the core temperature reaches 75 degrees C or above before consumption;
* Do not reheat rice dumplings more than once; and
* Consume reheated rice dumplings as soon as possible.
 
Consuming rice dumplings
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* Wash hands with running water and liquid soap, and rub for at least 20 seconds before consumption; and
* Reduce seasonings such as soy sauce or granulated sugar during consumption.
 
     The spokesman said, "Rice dumplings in general are relatively high in energy, fat and salt. During the festival, people should maintain a balanced diet, and consume rice dumplings moderately, with due consideration of their health condition. People are recommended to share rice dumplings with their family members and friends, as this not only enhances the festive atmosphere, but also allows them to taste rice dumplings of different flavours and avoid over-consumption. People are also advised to make use of nutrition labels on prepackaged food to compare their nutritional contents for healthier food choices."
 
     The spokesman also reminded the food trade to purchase food ingredients from reliable suppliers and maintain proper records to facilitate source tracing when necessary. They should follow Good Manufacturing Practice in the preparation of food products and comply with legal requirements when using food additives. The spokesman advised the food trade to adopt the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point System to identify, assess and control possible hazards in the food production process.
 
     The CFS will continue to conduct surveillance on rice dumplings in the second phase, the results of which will be released in due course to ensure food safety.

  

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) delegation concluded a three-day visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 24 to strengthen financial collaboration between Malaysia and Hong Kong.
      
     Led by the Chief Executive of the HKMA, Mr Eddie Yue, the delegation held bilateral meeting with the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), focusing on strategic areas including digital finance and fintech, green and sustainable finance, payment systems, use of local currencies for cross-border trade and Islamic finance.
      
     Representatives from the HKMA and the BNM also joined the Malaysia Business Forum, organised by the Hong Kong Association of Banks. Attended by over 160 senior representatives from leading local and international banks operating in the two places, the Forum provided a platform to discuss and exchange views on financial co-operation and topics of mutual interests between Malaysia and Hong Kong.
      
     The delegation also met with key business and financial leaders in Malaysia to discuss new opportunities arising from the strengthening economic and financial ties between Malaysia and Hong Kong.
      
     Mr Yue remarked, "Hong Kong and Malaysia share a vision of promoting regional economic co-operation, fintech innovation and climate transition. As the gateway to the Mainland and a leading economy in ASEAN respectively, Hong Kong and Malaysia are well positioned to work together to drive closer partnership and sustainable growth across the entire Asia region."
      
     This visit is part of the HKMA's ongoing efforts to expand its global network. Following successful visits to Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates earlier, the HKMA plans to continue its engagement with the Middle East and other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries to maintain and further strengthen Hong Kong's status as an international financial centre.

    

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department is presenting the Performing Arts Fun Day 2024 from May to June at three of its performance venues in the New Territories. The finale will be held at Tsuen Wan Town Hall (TWTH) at 2pm on June 2 (Sunday), with various talented local young artists and venue partners of TWTH showcasing free performing arts programmes and fringe activities. Members of the public are welcome to attend and experience the charm of performing arts.

     The programmes of the Performing Arts Fun Day 2024 cover music, dance, theatre, and contemporary circus acts at the Auditorium of TWTH. Boonfaysau will offer an a cappella performance of original and arranged works. A contemporary dance and circus performance blending elements of kung fu, Cantonese opera, dragon dance, lion dance, etc, will be staged by arts group TS Crew. The Class 7A Drama Group will perform "The Gallants", leading audiences to enter the world of Chinese classical literature. Three fascinating original dance works will also be presented by dance group La P en V Innovative Dance Platform.

     Three fringe activities will also be held on the same day at the Cultural Activities Hall and Exhibition Gallery of TWTH. Venue partners of TWTH, Count-In Music and Ming Ri Institute for Arts Education, will present respectively the "Hong Kong Youth Jazz Collective – Jazz Appreciation Concert", and an interactive theatre, "Journey to the West", followed by a post-performance workshop, while local magician Zenneth Kok will offer a digitalised visual magic and mind reading performance, "In Your Sight, In Your Mind".

     Admission to all programmes is free with limited places available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets for the fringe activities will be available at the enquiry counter of TWTH on the event day from noon while stocks last. For details, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/twth/programmes/performingartsfunday2024.html.

        

     Hong Kong Customs today (May 27) alerted members of the public to a model of unsafe children's loft bed which could pose a risk of entrapment and injury to its users.

     Customs earlier received information alleging that a model of suspected unsafe children's loft bed was being supplied on the market. Customs officers immediately conducted an investigation and test-purchased the children's loft bed concerned from an online retailer for safety tests.

     The test results revealed that the width of the gaps between some parts of the children's loft bed rails did not meet the requirements of the relevant safety standard. Therefore, it was suspected that the children's loft bed did not comply with the general safety requirement of the Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance (CGSO). 

     Prohibition notices banning the continued sale of that children's loft bed have been served on the retailers and the importers concerned.

     An investigation is ongoing.

     Customs reminds members of the public to observe the following safety tips when purchasing and using children's loft beds:

• An examination should be carried out after assemblage to make sure that the children's loft bed stands safely;
• Advice and instructions for users should be read carefully before using the product;
• Pay attention to the width of the loft bed rails to prevent children from accidentally falling or being trapped and injured; 
• Never allow children to jump and tumble on the loft bed; and
• Stop using the loft bed immediately if it is found to be unsafe.

     Under the CGSO, it is an offence to supply, manufacture or import into Hong Kong consumer goods unless the goods comply with the general safety requirement for consumer goods. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for one year on first conviction, and $500,000 and imprisonment for two years on subsequent conviction.

     Members of the public with information relating to unsafe consumer goods may make a report via Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or by filling in an online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).