Tag Archives: China

     The Health Bureau (HHB) introduced eHealth+ developments to representatives from Residential Care Homes for the Elderly (RCHEs) and Residential Care Homes for Persons with Disabilities (RCHDs) today (March 25) through a briefing session, in which Residential Care Home (RCH) representatives were also invited to participate in the eMedication (RCH) project. The briefing session was co-organised by the HHB with the Hospital Authority (HA) and the Logistics and Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre (LSCM), and attracted registration from over 600 RCHs. 

     At the briefing session today, an HHB representative introduced to the RCH representatives the nine core functions of eHealth+ (eMedication inclusive), and explained how the eMedication function can help optimise the medication management system and protocol at the RCHs.

     A spokesman for the HHB said, “Medication management is a vital element in safeguarding the health condition of residents in the RCHs. The eMedication function of eHealth+ enables the RCHs to gain access to the electronic prescription information of their residents, thereby minimising the reliance on manual copying procedures and providing convenience to RCHs to follow up on drug distribution and administration. Not only will it improve efficiency but also the drug monitoring within the RCHs, thus reducing the risk of medication incidents. Additionally, pharmacists in the RCHs can utilise the time saved on better monitoring of residents’ medication status and taking appropriate follow-up actions.

      “Rigorous and proper medication management is crucial to the caring of patients, the elderly in particular. For patients, eMedication can provide them with comprehensive prescription and dispensing records. This will ensure that medication is handled in a safer and more convenient way for residents in RCHs. We hope that this briefing session can allow RCHs to have a deeper understanding of the new functions of eHealth+, driving them to make better use of the eHealth+ platform,” the spokesman added.

     Jointly initiated by the HHB and the HA in collaboration with the LSCM, the eMedication (RCH) project supports participating RCHs and their electronic medication management system suppliers to implement system connections and improve information security. Interested RCHs may contact emedication@lscm.hk by email for more details.

     The Government is rolling out a five-year plan of eHealth+ as announced in the 2023 Policy Address, to transform eHealth from a health record-sharing system into a comprehensive healthcare information infrastructure that integrates functions of healthcare data sharing, service delivery and protocol management. The Government will take forward the eHealth+ plan along four strategic directions, namely One Health Record, One Care Journey, One Digital Front Door to Empowering Tool and One Health Data Repository, with a view to strategically completing the development work of eHealth+ and progressively introducing different features over the next five years.

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     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) is once again holding Green Recycling Day (GRD) activities upon the conclusion of the 10-day Hong Kong Flower Show. The GRD activities were held today (March 25) and will continue tomorrow (March 26) at Victoria Park to reinforce green measures and reduce waste, reflecting the department’s commitment to implementing green measures for environmental protection in its large-scale events.
 
     More than 300 volunteers including those from the Hong Kong Jockey Club, corporates, environmental groups and local organisations, as well as volunteers from the LCSD and Green Volunteers, assisted in separating and collecting reusable and recyclable materials at the showground for waste reduction today.
 
     In addition, around 3 000 pots of flowers that are suitable for replanting were distributed to the public at the park’s Sugar Street entrance.
 
     As in previous years, landscape displays suitable for reuse and flowers suitable for replanting were relocated to LCSD parks and amenity areas. Meanwhile, some of the flowers suitable for replanting were also distributed via the “Give the Flowers a New Home!” Jockey Club Flower Replanting Scheme to schools, environmental groups and non-governmental organisations to encourage greening in the community. This year, over 10 000 potted plants were distributed to some 70 organisations.
 
     The LCSD has implemented various green measures at different stages of the flower show, encouraging all stakeholders including exhibitors, contractors, volunteers and members of the public to apply the 3R principles, namely “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle”.
 
     During the preparation phase, stakeholders were provided with guidelines on waste reduction. Exhibitors were encouraged to use recyclable or reusable materials in their display designs. While cleaning up the exhibits, they were reminded to collect reusable materials and separate them properly before delivering them to recycling spots set up at the showground.
 
     During the show period, visitors were encouraged to bring their own water bottles and green shopping bags. QR codes were displayed at the showground for visitors to download the location map and information on the theme flower, landscape displays and more. Free tableware rental service was also provided to reduce use of disposable plastic tableware, as part of the effort to reduce waste.
 
     Recyclables collection points were also set up to facilitate the collection of carton boxes, plastic flower pots and other plastics, soil, metals, wooden planks and more. Collection points for wilted flowers were also available for collecting wilted plants so that they can be delivered to the Animal Waste Composting Plant in Ngau Tam Mei for being recycled into useful organic compost.
 
     The flower show hoped to gather community power through implementing various green measures to achieve the goal of a “Green Flower Show for All”.

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The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:      Tenders of Exchange Fund Bills to be held on April 2, 2024:   Tender date : April 2, 2024 Paper on offer : EF B… read more

     The Government today (March 25) issued a vision statement on developing the sustainability disclosure ecosystem in Hong Kong. The statement sets out the vision and approach of the Government and financial regulators in developing a comprehensive ecosystem for sustainability disclosure in Hong Kong.  

     The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, said, “Accurate information is an essential element in facilitating green and sustainable financial services. The vision statement clearly indicates the specific direction of the Government and financial regulators regarding the development of sustainability disclosure in Hong Kong. This will help Hong Kong stay abreast of international trends in green and sustainable finance and accelerate our progress towards rising as an international green finance centre. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau will continue to collaborate with financial regulators and stakeholders to progressively enhance Hong Kong’s sustainability disclosure ecosystem and realise the vision, and further promote carbon neutrality in the city before 2050 and our country’s ‘3060 Dual Carbon Targets’ as well.”

     Key points of the vision statement are as follows:

1. The Government and financial regulators aim for Hong Kong to be among the first jurisdictions to align the local sustainability disclosure requirements with the International Financial Reporting Standards – Sustainability Disclosure Standards (ISSB Standards), showcasing to international investors and markets Hong Kong’s commitment to reinforcing its leading position on the international sustainable finance map and solidifying the competitiveness of businesses in Hong Kong to address the global demand for sustainability disclosure.

2. The Government will adopt a holistic approach in developing the local sustainability disclosure standards and sustainability disclosure ecosystem. Assuming the role of the sustainability reporting standard setter in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants will develop the local sustainability reporting standards (Hong Kong Standards) aligned with the ISSB Standards as well as the complementary application and implementation guidance.

3. The Hong Kong Standards are intended for cross-sectoral observance, including listed companies and regulated financial institutions, such as banks, fund managers, insurance companies, and Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) trustees, etc. A phased implementation approach will be adopted, with application of the Hong Kong Standards prioritised for publicly accountable entities such as listed companies and regulated financial institutions.  

4. The Government and financial regulators will promote sustainability assurance to enable credible implementation, enhance capacity building to support the industry and companies, and facilitate the use of technological solutions to enhance efficiency, reduce cost and enable comparability and interoperability of disclosures.

5. The Government will work with financial regulators and stakeholders to develop a roadmap on the appropriate adoption of the ISSB Standards, and aim to launch the roadmap within 2024 to provide a transparent and well-defined pathway on sustainability reporting for businesses in Hong Kong as well as sufficient time for making preparations and developing readiness for the pragmatic implementation of the Hong Kong Standards.

     The full vision statement can be found in the Annex to this press release. read more

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (March 25) reported the latest number of cases of Legionnaires’ disease (LD), and stressed the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems, adding that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions.

     From March 17 to 23, the CHP recorded two community-acquired LD cases:
 
     1. A male patient, aged 74 with underlying illnesses, who lives in North District; and
     2. A male patient, aged 82 with underlying illnesses, who lives in Yuen Long District.

     “Epidemiological investigations are ongoing to identify potential sources of infection, high-risk exposure and clusters, if any,” a spokesman for the CHP said.

     As of March 23, 15 LD cases had been recorded this year. In 2023 and 2022, there were 121 and 80 cases respectively.

     “Men, people aged over 50, smokers, alcoholics and persons with weakened immunity are more susceptible to LD. Some situations may also increase the risk of infection, including poor maintenance of water systems; living in areas with old water systems, cooling towers or fountains; using electric water heaters, whirlpools and spas or hot water spring spas; and recent stays in hotels or vessels,” the spokesman said.

     Legionellae are found in various environmental settings and grow well in warm water (20 to 45 degrees Celsius). They can be found in aqueous environments such as water tanks, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, whirlpools and spas, water fountains and home apparatus that support breathing. People may become infected when they breathe in contaminated droplets (aerosols) and mist generated by artificial water systems, or when handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes.

     Immunocompromised persons should:
 

• Use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing;
• Avoid using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices; and
• If using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices, fill the water tank with only sterile or cooled freshly boiled water, and not water directly from the tap. Also, clean and maintain humidifiers/devices regularly according to manufacturers’ instructions. Never leave stagnant water in a humidifier/device. Empty the water tank, wipe all surfaces dry, and change the water daily. 

     
     â€‹The public should observe the health advice below:
     

• Observe personal hygiene;
• Do not smoke and avoid alcohol consumption;
• Strainers in water taps and shower heads should be inspected, cleaned, descaled and disinfected regularly or at a frequency recommended by the manufacturer;
• If a fresh-water plumbing system is properly maintained, it is not necessary to install domestic water filters. Use of water filters is not encouraged as clogging occurs easily, which can promote growth of micro-organisms. In case water filters are used, the pore size should be 0.2 micrometres (µm) and the filter needs to be changed periodically according to the manufacturer’s recommendations;
• Drain and clean water tanks of buildings at least quarterly;
• Drain or purge for at least one minute infrequently used water outlets (e.g. water taps, shower heads and hot water outlets) and stagnant points of the pipework weekly or before use;
• Seek and follow doctors’ professional advice regarding the use and maintenance of home respiratory devices and use only sterile water (not distilled or tap water) to clean and fill the reservoir. Clean and maintain the device regularly according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After cleaning/disinfection, rinse the device with sterile water, cooled freshly boiled water or water filtered with 0.2 µm filters. Never leave stagnant water in the device. Empty the water tank, keep all surfaces dry, and change the water daily; and
• When handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes: 

1. Wear gloves and a face mask;
2. Water gardens and compost gently using low pressure;
3. Open composted potting mixes slowly and make sure the opening is directed away from the face;
4. Wet the soil to reduce dust when potting plants; and
5. Avoid working in poorly ventilated places such as enclosed greenhouses.

     â€‹The public may visit the CHP’s LD page, the Code of Practice for Prevention of LD and the Housekeeping Guidelines for Cold and Hot Water Systems for Building Management of the Prevention of LD Committee, and the CHP’s risk-based strategy for prevention and control of LD.
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