The Government gazetted today (April 5) that the Coroners Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 1) Notice 2023 (Cap. 504 Notice) and the Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance (Amendment of Second Schedule) Notice 2023 (Cap. 174 Notice) would come into effect starting June 3 to facilitate the choice of dying in place for terminally ill patients in residential care homes (RCHs).

     Gazetted today were the Coroners Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 1) Notice 2023 (Commencement) Notice and Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance (Amendment of Second Schedule) Notice 2023 (Commencement) Notice. The two Notices appointed June 3 as the date on which the provisions stipulated in Cap. 504 Notice and Cap. 174 Notice shall be effective. Starting from that date, if a resident who passed away in an RCH was diagnosed as having a terminal illness when he or she was alive and was attended to by a registered medical practitioner within 14 days before passing away, and his or her certificate of cause of death states that he or she died of a natural cause, such a death case will no longer be considered as a reportable death to the Coroners Court.

     To tie in with the relevant amended legislation, the Social Welfare Department will promulgate guidelines for residential care homes for persons with disabilities and residential care homes for elderly persons that are not nursing homes, and as well as provide training such as end-of-life care for RCH staff to assist them in implementing the dying-in-place arrangements.

     The two Notices in relation to the commencement date will be laid before the Legislative Council in accordance with the negative vetting process next Wednesday (April 10).

     â€‹The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (April 5) that samples of several kinds of prepackaged spice mix products were found to contain a pesticide, ethylene oxide. Members of the public should not consume the affected products. The trade should also stop using or selling the affected products immediately if they possess any of them.

     Product details are as follows:

Product name: Madras Curry Powder (Spice blend for Madras Curry)
Brand: MDH
Place of manufacture: India
Net weight: 100 grams
Best-before date: End-August 2024
Distributor: Dhillon Group of Companies Limited
Hotline: 9518 1250

Product name: Fish Curry Masala
Brand: Everest
Place of manufacture: India
Net weight: 1.75oz (50 grams)
Best-before date: September 2025
Importer and distributor: MPS FOODS (HK) LTD
Hotline: 3591 1541

Product name: Sambhar Masala Mixed Masala Powder
Brand: MDH
Place of manufacture: India
Net weight: 100 grams
Use by date : November 2024
Importer: AGAM Trading Co.
Hotline: 9121 7676 or 9222 4131

Product name: Curry Powder Mixed Masala Powder
Brand: MDH
Place of manufacture: India
Net weight: 100 grams
Use by date: November 2024
Importer: AGAM Trading Co.
Hotline: 9121 7676 or 9222 4131

     A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS collected the above-mentioned samples from three retail outlets in Tsim Sha Tsui respectively for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test results showed that the samples contained a pesticide, ethylene oxide. The CFS has informed the vendors concerned of the irregularities and instructed them to stop sale and remove from shelves the affected products. According to the CFS's instructions, the distributors/importers concerned have initiated recalls on the affected products. Members of the public may call the respective hotlines above during office hours for enquiries about the recalls of the products concerned."

     The spokesman continued, "The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified ethylene oxide as a Group 1 carcinogen. According to the Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation (Cap. 132CM), a food for human consumption containing pesticide residue may only be sold if consumption of the food is not dangerous or prejudicial to health. An offender is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and to imprisonment for six months upon conviction."

     The CFS will alert the trade, continue to follow up on the incidents and take appropriate action. Investigations are ongoing.

     â€‹The new Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan Jick-chi, today (April 5) took an oath at the Chief Executive's Office.

     The oath was administered by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee. The Ombudsman swore that he will uphold the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), bear allegiance to the HKSAR of the PRC and serve the HKSAR conscientiously, dutifully, in full accordance with the law, honestly and with integrity.

     A Government spokesman said, "The new Ombudsman took the oath to uphold the Basic Law and bear allegiance to the HKSAR, thereby embodying the principle and responsibility of 'patriots administering Hong Kong' ".

  

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     Regarding an earlier announcement on a cluster of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriers in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the spokesperson for Kwong Wah Hospital made the following updates today (April 5):

     In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, the hospital has performed an enhanced surveillance and one more patient, a nine-month-old girl, was confirmed as an MRSA carrier without clinical symptoms. The patient is in stable condition and is being treated in isolation.

     The hospital has performed enhanced medical surveillance and screening of the patients in the NICU. The following infection control measures have been stepped up according to established guidelines:
 

1. Thorough cleaning and disinfection of the NICU, including the environment, incubators, equipment and instruments;
2. Enhanced medical surveillance of the patients and environmental screening procedures in the NICU; and
3. Applied stringent contact precautions and enhanced hand hygiene of staff. Family members are reminded that infection control measures must be implemented when visiting their babies.

     The case has been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for follow-up.

     Police today (April 5) appealed to the public for information on a woman who went missing in Kwai Chung.

     Lau Leung-ching, aged 56, went missing after she left a rehabilitation centre on Wo Tong Tsui Street on April 2 morning. Staff of the rehabilitation centre made a report to Police on the next day.
         
     She is about 1.6 metres tall, 58 kilograms in weight and of medium build. She has a square face with yellow complexion and short black hair. She was last seen wearing a black jacket, a white T-shirt, black and grey trousers, pink sport shoes and carrying a dark crossbody 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 South on 3661 1176 or 9415 4495 or email to rmpu-nts-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.