Police today (April 25) appealed to the public for information on a woman who went missing in Tuen Mun.

     Tang Oi-yee, aged 57, went missing after she left her residence in Tsz Tin Tsuen yesterday afternoon (April 24). Her family made a report to Police on the same day.

     She is about 1.5 metres tall, 41 kilograms in weight and of thin build. She has a pointed face with yellow complexion and short straight black hair. She was last seen wearing black glasses, a black mask, a black jacket, blue jeans, black sports shoes and carrying a black bag.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing woman or may have seen her is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of New Territories North on 3661 3113 or email to rmpu-ntn-1@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

    

     â€‹In response to media enquiries on how the regulation of disposable plastic tableware is applied to the provision of food in supermarkets and food courts, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (April 25) gave the following response:

     Some business premises mainly focusing on retail (e.g. supermarkets, department stores) also sell pre-packaged food for immediate consumption (e.g. boxed sushi, sandwiches). The relevant products are placed on the shelves for customers to choose, and also for facilitating customers to take them away from the premises. This business model is considered as takeaway and therefore plastic cups and plastic food containers can be used. Where the customers consume the product is not relevant.

     The mode of operation of food courts in shopping malls/large department stores is different. Food stalls in food courts usually prepare and serve food (e.g. stir-fried noodles) on the spot according to the orders placed by customers, and there are dining areas in food courts for customers to dine in. This business model is basically the same as that of regular restaurants, hence food stalls in food courts are required to comply with the regulatory requirements on tableware for dine-in service. Similar to other restaurants, if customers purchase food for takeaway, this will not be regarded as providing dine-in service and plastic cups and plastic food containers can be used.

     If food courts offer pre-packaged food for immediate consumption (e.g. boxed sushi, sandwiches) on shelves or through vending machines that allow customers to make purchases and facilitate them to take the products away from the premises, based on the above principle, this is also considered as takeaway, and therefore the products can be packaged in plastic food containers.

     If the cooked food section of a supermarket serves food (e.g. stir-fried noodles) prepared on the spot according to the orders placed by customers, and there are dining areas for customers to dine-in, this situation is similar to the mode of operation of a food court, and no different from that of a regular restaurant. Under this circumstance, it has to comply with the regulatory requirements on tableware for dine-in service. The above is consistent with the explanation on the situation of supermarkets given by the EPD at its earlier training seminar for the retail and service sector.

     As far as customers are concerned, the purchase and use of certain disposable plastic products will not violate the law under any circumstances.

     The Health Bureau (HHB) stated today (April 25) that the Government attaches great importance to citizens' health and agreed that the quota of the dental General Public sessions has dropped significantly in 2022/23 due to the COVID-19 epidemic and the manpower shortage as pointed out in the Report No. 82 of the Director of Audit released by the Audit Commission yesterday (April 24). The HHB, the Department of Health (DH) and the Hospital Authority thanked the Audit Commission for the recommendations made in the Report regarding emergency dental services and elderly dental care support, and would study them thoroughly in order to enhance local dental services in an effective manner.

     A spokesman for the HHB said that the Government had established the Working Group on Oral Health and Dental Care at the end of 2022 to comprehensively review the dental care services provided or subsidised by the Government. The Working Group suggested in its interim report released at the end of last year that the Government should develop primary dental services for citizens and assist citizens in managing their own oral health to put prevention, early identification, and timely intervention of dental diseases into action. The Working Group also suggested the exploration of pursuing development of appropriate targeted dental services for underprivileged groups it defined (persons with financial difficulties, persons with disabilities or special needs, and high risk groups). The ultimate goal is to enhance the overall level of citizens' oral health through retention of natural teeth.

     The Government shared the same view with the Working Group and is now strenuously planning a series of measures to enhance the dental services, including the collaboration with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to strengthen in next year the emergency dental services targeting the underprivileged groups with financial difficulties through expansion of service capacity, service points and service scope, thus promoting early identification and timely intervention of dental diseases. The target is to provide dental General Public sessions with additional service capacity which will be at least two times more than the current capacity. The HHB is finalising the programme details and will make announcement in due course.

     Furthermore, the HHB is implementing a series of measures to enhance the dental care services for different age groups and target groups, including the Primary Dental Co-Care Pilot Scheme for Adolescents for adolescents aged 13 to 17 years old to be launched next year, and within this year the strengthening of special care dental services for people with disabilities or special needs currently provided by the DH, and enhancement to the Elderly Dental Assistance Programme funded by the Community Care Fund.

     To ensure the availability of sufficient dental professionals to dovetail with the enhancement of dental services, the HHB has introduced the Dentists Registration (Amendment) Bill 2024 (the Bill) into the Legislative Council (LegCo) earlier this month to comprehensively amend the legislative framework that has been in place since 1959. The Bill proposes to create new pathways for admitting qualified non-locally trained dentists to practise in Hong Kong, and introduce an internship and a period of assessment to enrich the clinical experience of local dental graduates and non-locally trained dentists. In addition, the Bill updates the regulatory framework for dental hygienists and dental therapists to tie in with the Government's policy direction of promoting oral health and dental care.

     In particular, the introduction of an internship for local dental graduates through legislation is by no means a newly deliberated add-on requirement. As a matter of fact, the Dental Council of Hong Kong (DCHK) conducted accreditation exercises on the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) on several occasions, during which it had already repeatedly highlighted the need for enhancing the training of clinical skills and enriching the clinical experience of local BDS students. Through introducing the internship arrangement, the Government has addressed the views raised by the DCHK and the dental profession over the years on further enhancing the clinical skills and professional standards of dentists in order to better safeguard patients' safety. The DCHK, the DH and the HKU Faculty of Dentistry are planning the implementation details of the internship programme, under which local dental graduates will be arranged to work in various postings in the public sector or NGOs, including School Dental Care Service, dental clinics and General Public sessions under the DH, oral maxillofacial surgery and dental services in public hospitals, as well as NGO dental clinics serving the underprivileged. This will enable local dental graduates to gain first-hand experience in real-life work settings, learn how to handle patients with various clinical conditions who are not previously screened by the school, and co-operate with other dentists and professionals in performing tasks. Such first-hand experience cannot be emulated by the simulation of dental procedures in school settings, and will substantially better prepare newcomers for their future practice.

     In all, the Bill will help boost the supply of dental manpower in Hong Kong to support public and subsidised dental services, and enhance the overall standards of dental professionals to better protect users of dental services. The Government will render full support to the LegCo in the scrutiny of the Bill to secure its early passage with a view to enabling Hong Kong citizens to enjoy dental services of a higher quality.

     In response to a media report on the quality and professional qualifications of personnel of private health check centre, a spokesman for the Department of Health (DH) today (April 25) said that the professional registration and regulation of various healthcare professionals in Hong Kong (including medical laboratory technologists (MLTs) and radiographers) are handled by their respective boards/councils in accordance with relevant legislations. The DH is taking follow-up actions against a private health check centre in Mong Kok for suspected violations of the Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance (Cap. 359), and has referred the case to the Police for further investigation. The DH will fully co-operate with the Police investigation and provide professional support when necessary.

     In Hong Kong, the Medical Laboratory Technologists Board and the Radiographers Board are statutory bodies established under the Ordinance and its subsidiary legislations. Based on the principle of professional autonomy, these two boards regulate the professional conduct of registered MLTs and radiographers respectively, to ensure the quality of medical laboratory testing and radiological diagnosis/therapeutic services. Anyone who wishes to practise as an MLT or a radiographer in Hong Kong must register with the respective board. Under the Ordinance, it is an offence for anyone to practise as an MLT/radiographer without being registered in that profession. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5,000 and imprisonment for six months.

     The spokesman reiterated that according to the Codes of Practice issued by the Medical Laboratory Technologists Board and the Radiographers Board respectively, no registered MLT or radiographer should perform any laboratory tests for medical diagnosis or treatment, or perform any diagnostic imaging on humans in the absence of a referral from healthcare professionals such as a registered medical practitioner or dentist.

     The professional registration of various healthcare professionals in Hong Kong (including doctors, nurses, radiographers, and MLTs) is handled by their respective boards/councils in accordance with relevant legislation. Members of the public can access the lists of registered healthcare professionals at the websites of the respective boards/councils.

     â€‹If any misconduct by a registered healthcare professional is suspected, members of the public can also lodge complaints with the respective boards/councils. The respective board/council will follow up on each complaint and, if necessary, refer the case to other law enforcement agencies.

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (April 24) detected a passenger drug trafficking case at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 1 kilogram of suspected cocaine and about 1 gram of suspected cannabis buds with an estimated market value of about $1.2 million.
      
     A 54-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Mexico City, Mexico, via Paris, France, yesterday. During Customs clearance, Customs officers found the batch of suspected cocaine concealed inside a false compartment of a backpack in his check-in suitcase. The man was then arrested. Subsequently, Customs officers also found about 1 gram of suspected cannabis buds inside his carry-on sling bag.
      
     An investigation is ongoing.
      
     Following the increasing number of visitors to Hong Kong, 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/).