The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     Members of the public are invited to attend the Hospital Authority (HA) Board Meeting to be held on December 19 (Thursday) at 3.30pm. 
 
     The HA Board Meeting has been open to members of the public since 1998 to demonstrate the continuous effort of the Authority to enhance its transparency and public accountability. The HA Board holds meetings at regular intervals to discuss major health policy issues that have impacts on the public. Through these open meetings, the community is able to understand more about the role and functions of the HA Board as well as the operation and services of the HA and its hospitals.
 
     The HA Board will discuss the following agenda items in the coming meeting:
 

• 2023 Patient Experience Survey on Inpatient Service;
• Progress Report on Strategic Priorities; and
• Cluster Presentation Programme – Hong Kong East Cluster – Establishment of Sensorium Garden at the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital.

 
     The meeting agenda and papers will be made available to the public at the meeting. Members of the public are reminded that they can attend the Board Meeting only as observers and will not be participating in the meeting discussions.
 
     Members of the public who are interested in attending the coming Board Meeting have to make an advance booking by contacting the Secretariat of the HA Board at 2300 6797 before noon on December 19. To facilitate booking arrangements, members of the public are advised to provide their names and contact telephone numbers. In view of the limited seating available in the public gallery of the meeting venue, seating will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.

     â€‹Hongkong Post announced today (December 17) that, as advised by the postal administration of Thailand, due to flooding, mail delivery services to the areas with postcodes 80xxx and 84107 are subject to delay.

     The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, will depart for Beijing this afternoon (December 17) to witness the signing of the Cooperation Arrangement on Quality and Safety Management between the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), with a view to strengthening the information communication and co-ordinating co-operation between the Mainland and Hong Kong in the electrical and mechanical aspects, ensuring the effective implementation of safety monitoring, management and quality control by both sides.

     During his visit to Beijing, Mr Tse will also visit local green and smart park, inspect liquid hydrogen-fuelled vehicle facilities, and call on a state-owned enterprise to learn about the country's inspection and certification work.

     The Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, Mr Poon Kwok-ying, as well as officers from the Environment and Ecology Bureau, the Development Bureau and the EMSD will also join the visit.

     Mr Tse will return to Hong Kong in the afternoon on December 19. During his absence, the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong, will be the Acting Secretary for Environment and Ecology.

     Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident happened in Yuen Long this afternoon (December 16) in which a man died.
           
     At 4.56pm, when a forklift truck driven by a 30-year-old Mainland man was turning left to Kung Um Road from an unnamed road near 292 Kung Um Road, it reportedly went out of control and was side-turned.

     The driver was pressed by the forklift truck and was rescued by firemen. Sustaining multiple injuries, he was rushed to Pok Oi Hospital in unconscious state and was certified dead at 5.53pm.

     Investigation by the Special Investigation Team of Traffic, New Territories North is under way.
      
     Anyone who witnessed the accident or has any information to offer is urged to contact the investigating officers on 3661 3800.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (December 16) investigating a food poisoning cluster affecting 13 persons, and reminded the public to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene to prevent foodborne diseases.
           
     The cluster involved 12 males and one female aged between 27 and 61, who developed abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea about 13 to 54 hours after having a buffet lunch at Billow Bar Seafood Bistro located in Tai Po on December 8.
    
     Six of the affected persons sought medical advice. None required hospitalisation.
      
     Initial investigations by the CHP revealed that the affected persons had consumed common food including raw oysters. The incident might have been caused by norovirus.
 
     Personnel from the CHP and the Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department have conducted an inspection at the restaurant, and instructed the premises concerned to suspend serving incriminated food items with immediate effect, carry out cleaning and disinfection of the premises and improve food preparation process and food hygiene. The officers have also provided health education related to food safety and environmental hygiene to the staff of the premises.

     Norovirus infection typically causes acute gastroenteritis. It is also a common cause of food poisoning and is very often related to consumption of undercooked or raw shellfish. The disease affects people of all age groups and tends to be more common during winter.

     To prevent foodborne diseases, members of the public are reminded to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene at all times. When dining out, one should:
 

• Avoid eating raw seafood;
• Be a discerning consumer in choosing cold dishes, including sashimi, sushi and raw oysters at a buffet;
• Choose pasteurised eggs, egg products or dried egg powder for dishes that often use lightly cooked or uncooked eggs;
• Patronise only reliable and licensed restaurants;
• Store and reheat pre-cooked or leftover foods properly before consumption;
• Ensure food is thoroughly cooked before eating during a hotpot or barbecue meal;
• Handle raw and cooked foods carefully and separate them completely during the cooking process;
• Use two sets of chopsticks and utensils to handle raw and cooked foods;
• Avoid patronising illegal food hawkers;
• Drink boiled water;
• Refrain from trying to use salt, vinegar, wine or wasabi to kill bacteria as they are not effective; and
• Always wash hands before eating and after going to the toilet.