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Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

Secretary for Environment & Ecology Tse Chin-wan was due to depart for Beijing this afternoon.

During his stay in Beijing, Mr Tse will visit the General Administration of Customs to discuss various topics such as safeguarding food supplies to Hong Kong, the facilitation of Hong Kong-manufactured food exports to the Mainland, and overall co-operation on food trade.

He will also visit the Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Affairs, and exchange views with officials on the sustainable development of agriculture and fisheries, restocking, multi-storey livestock farms and offshore fishing, with a view to enhancing communication and co-operation.

In addition, Mr Tse will meet representatives from the Ministry of Ecology & Environment and the BRI International Green Development Coalition to exchange views on combating climate change.

He will also meet representatives from the China Biodiversity Conservation & Green Development Foundation, and the Carbon Neutral Industry Development Innovation Committee, to discuss issues such as green development, ocean governance, and the carbon market.

Mr Tse will return to Hong Kong on Friday afternoon. During his absence, Under Secretary for Environment & Ecology Diane Wong will be Acting Secretary.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The Department of Health has requested that the Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Tsuen Wan submit an investigation report after an examination lamp fell in a treatment room at the hospital last night.

 

The hospital reported that the lamp, in a treatment room at the hospital’s Urgent Care Centre, fell suddenly while a staff member was trying to adjust it. The lamp struck the staff member and a doctor who had just finished treating a patient.

 

Neither of the two suffered major injuries and they did not require hospitalisation. The patient was not injured.

 

Following the incident, the hospital suspended use of the room and asked the lamp supplier to immediately inspect all examination lamps in the hospital of the same Polaris® 50 model.

 

As a precautionary measure, the hospital has also requested the supplier, Draeger Hong Kong, to inspect all other lights on its premises manufactured by them.

 

The department said it will carefully assess the findings of the investigation and the measures taken by the hospital in response to the incident, and will take appropriate follow-up actions to protect patient safety and prevent similar incidents.

 

The department has also been in contact with Draeger Hong Kong to learn more about the incident. It requested them in writing today to notify affected customers and take follow-up action.

 

The department said it will notify stakeholders, including the Hospital Authority, all private hospitals, licensed private healthcare facilities and relevant medical professional bodies, about the incident, and request that they contact Draeger Hong Kong as soon as possible if they are using Polaris® 50 lamps.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) today said it is investigating the possible source of a norovirus outbreak involving students who had joined an exchange tour to the Mainland.

Yesterday, the CHP learnt that 135 teachers and students from a secondary school in Tsing Yi went on a three-day exchange tour to Zhaoqing on March 20. During the period from around 11am on March 21 to 8am the next day, 20 students and one teacher developed symptoms compatible with norovirus infection, including vomiting, diarrhoea and fever.

Eighteen patients sought medical attention in Zhaoqing. All are in a stable condition and have been discharged, and eight have tested positive for norovirus.

The CHP is probing the possible source of this norovirus outbreak from different aspects, including the possibility of transmission through person-to-person, contaminated food or the environment. Preliminary investigations revealed that all 21 patients had not consumed any common food items other than the group meals, and there has not been any outbreak of acute gastroenteritis in the school recently.

After analysing the onset time of the cases, the CHP said that it could not, at this stage, preliminarily rule out that the cases were infected through consuming contaminated food.

The centre has notified the Guangdong health authority of the relevant information of epidemiological investigations, and has been informed that the Mainland has commenced investigation into the case.

Apart from giving health advice to the affected school, the CHP will continue to follow up on the incident and conduct epidemiological investigations, including collecting stool specimens from the cases for laboratory testing. It has also alerted the Education Bureau to the situation.

Separately, the CHP noted that the activity of acute gastroenteritis in Hong Kong has been on the rise since the end of December last year, and has remained at a relatively high level in recent months.

In January there were 57 outbreaks and 49 in February, while up to March 15, a total of 21 outbreak cases were recorded. Most of these outbreaks were caused by the norovirus.

The centre also remarked that in addition to the Mainland, there have been recent outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis in other popular travel destinations for Hong Kong citizens, such as Japan, Singapore and Taiwan.

To minimise the risk of being infected while travelling, the centre advised citizens to remain vigilant and maintain personal, environmental and food hygiene.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The Department of Health today said it is looking into a water seepage incident in an operating theatre during surgery at the CUHK Medical Centre.

It was noted that the hospital was conducting a patient’s eye surgery on March 10 and towards the end of the operation, water started dripping from the ceiling at the end of the operating table.

Hospital staff immediately used a cloth to stop the dripping while also covering the patient’s head and surgical instruments with a sterile surgical drape.

The surgery was completed uneventfully. The patient’s condition has been stable and no complications have been reported.

The hospital has suspended the use of the operating theatre in question and identified the source of the water seepage. Repair work has been carried out.

While the incident is not a reportable event under the Code of Practice for Private Hospitals, the Department of Health has, for the sake of prudence, requested the hospital to submit an investigation report.

After assessing the investigation findings and the actions taken by the hospital, the department will take appropriate follow-up action with a view to preventing recurrence and enhancing the protection of patient safety.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

Last April, Ida Chan welcomed her son into the world. He was born a kilogramme lighter than expected, and Ida decided to breastfeed to help him bulk up.

Initially, she faced challenges. As her baby was hospitalised due to newborn jaundice, Ida missed the initial window to start breastfeeding. As she struggled to produce enough milk herself, she was also distressed to discover that her son had trouble digesting baby formula.

Fortunately, she managed to boost her milk supply through consistent pumping and was finally able to breastfeed exclusively three months later.

With her son now thriving, she knows she made the right decision. “Every drop of breast milk is not just about tiredness, pain and time,” she reflected. “It is all about a mother’s love to her baby.

Heartfelt giving

When Ida subsequently learned about some of her friends’ premature babies being severely underweight, it hit close to home. Accordingly, when she learned about the launch of the Hong Kong Breast Milk Bank, she did not hesitate to sign up online right away.

After clearing a health screening, she began donating some of her breast milk, just as she had hoped.

Even though she has returned to working full-time and her own child is eating more solid foods, combined with three milk feeds a day, Ida still makes time to pump and reserve an extra bag to donate to other babies.

Altogether, it takes half an hour for her to pump the milk, store it, and clean up, but she is heartened that she is able to lend a hand to other families in need. “I think it is worth it because I am doing something good for the community.”

She added that she wants to set an example to her son. “In the future, I want to tell my baby ‘Your mother was helping others, and I want you to be a person like me.’”

Beyond expectations

Donating breast milk is not as simple as having good intentions, however. To qualify, donors need to be currently lactating, and have a baby under one year old. They also have to be in good health, pass a thorough assessment that includes a review of their medication history, and submit to undergoing blood tests every three months.

Since launching in January of this year, the Hong Kong Breast Milk Bank, located in the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital, has collected more than 300 litres of donated breast milk and recruited over 100 eligible donors.

Hong Kong Breast Milk Bank Director Dr Rosanna Wong said the numbers are beyond expectations.

This month, the initiative began its second phase, offering donor breast milk to all nine of the Hospital Authority’s Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

“The first priority of using this milk are those babies who are born under 32 weeks of gestation, or with birth weight less than 1.5kg,” Dr Wong explained. “Other babies who require the milk will be those who have severe diseases like congenital heart disease, or after a gastrointestinal operation.”

She added that if the bank could gather more donations, milk could be given to less premature babies, or even full-term babies with special needs.

All milk donated to the bank undergoes pasteurisation, microbiological testing and nutritional analysis, all under strict temperature controls, to ensure its safety and quality.

Ideal nourishment

Dr Wong described breast milk as the best nutrition for infants, particularly premature babies, as it contains unique properties such as immunoglobulins and immune factors that protect these babies from infections.

She emphasised that using breast milk for such babies reduces complications, including necrotising enterocolitis.

Calling on the community to rally behind the cause,” she added: “Each drop of donated breast milk is a gift of life for these vulnerable babies. We are looking forward to receiving more support from the mothers and the community.”

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law has expressed sorrow over the passing of lyricist Jimmy Lo and extended her deepest condolences to his family.

A prominent figure in Hong Kong’s music scene, Mr Lo wrote lyrics for over 3,000 songs, touching the lives of many in the city and leaving a lasting impression on its collective memory.

Revered as the “Maestro of Lyrics”, Mr Lo’s classics include Dynasty, Every time it changes and Fatherland.

The Government commented that Mr Lo’s songs are masterpieces of poetic craftsmanship and profound emotion. It said that he skillfully interweaved lyrics and mood, conveying a multitude of emotions to listeners, and that his works continue to resonate with audiences and stand the test of time.

Paying tribute, Miss Law said: “With his superb writing skills, Mr Lo’s lyrics were imbued with profound emotion and philosophy. His works were sometimes meticulous and sometimes grand, touching the hearts of countless listeners.

“He dedicated his life to creating classic songs for Hong Kong’s music industry, leaving behind a precious collective memory for us all. His passing is a tremendous loss to Hong Kong’s cultural community.”

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki held a gathering today with the third-term Partners’ Board under the Strive & Rise Programme and some 200 guests, sharing the programme’s fruitful achievements.

During the gathering, mentors said that by making use of resources allocated by the business sector, various innovative activities were organised to enrich mentees’ learning profiles and broaden their exposure. In addition, mentors shared how they built trusting relationships with mentees and guided them to develop a positive outlook on life.

Addressing the event, Mr Chan highlighted that 4,000 mentees had been admitted to the third cohort of the programme and that the matching of mentors and mentees had been completed.

Mentees, their parents, and mentors have been attending orientation sessions and training courses since January. About 380 enterprises and organisations offered enthusiastic support to the third cohort, including nominating a sufficient number of mentors, raising about $18.6 million in donations, and providing group activities, study tours, diversified learning opportunities and internship programmes.

Mr Chan also said that in addition to continuing the enhanced measures adopted for the second cohort, the third cohort focuses on strengthening the support for mentors and further encouraging youth leaders of the Strive & Rise Alumni Club to organise more activities for self-development, with a view to maintaining the Strive & Rise Programme’s spirit and sustaining its effectiveness.

A newly-developed mobile application for the programme has also been launched to facilitate mentor-mentee communication, featuring functions such as signing up for group activities, arranging meetings, and submitting mentees’ personal development plans, he added.

To date, the cumulative number of Strive & Rise mentees has exceeded 10,000. The Chief Secretary remarked that through the powerful synergy of the Government, the business sector, and the community, the programme will continue to help uplift more underprivileged youths by broadening their horizons, reinforcing self-confidence and developing a positive outlook on life.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak today officiated at the YDC Youth Ambassadors Programme 2025 launch ceremony.

Themed “Build a Caring & Inclusive Society, Youth Tell Good Stories of Hong Kong” this year, cadet ambassadors, through training activities and exposure opportunities, can extend their care for the community, leverage their influence and take actions to build a caring, inclusive and harmonious society, while joining hands to tell good stories of Hong Kong, the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau explained.

Addressing the ceremony, Miss Mak encouraged the cadet ambassadors to learn more about youth development work by the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau and the Youth Development Commission, including the measures stated in the Youth Development Blueprint that help address the needs of young people at different development stages.

She also advised the cadets to seize the opportunities of participating in the training activities and service projects of Community Care Teams, through which they could broaden their perspectives, nurture their passion to serve society, further integrate into the country’s overall development, contribute to Hong Kong and the country, and tell good stories of Hong Kong.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The Labour Department today announced that the levels of 18 types of compensation available to employees injured at work or suffering from occupational diseases, and to family members of deceased employees, will be increased on April 17.

The Legislative Council yesterday passed three resolutions to increase such compensation under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, the Pneumoconiosis & Mesothelioma (Compensation) Ordinance and the Occupational Deafness (Compensation) Ordinance.

The levels of increase for the 18 types of compensation range from 3.8% to 86.3%.

The department said the compensation levels are adjusted every two years, according to an established mechanism. Adjustments for most types of compensation are normally made in light of wage movements, as reflected in the Nominal Wage Index, or of price movements, as reflected in the Consumer Price Index.

It added that the increased levels of compensation will enhance protections for employees injured at work, sufferers of occupational diseases, family members of deceased employees, and family members of people who die due to work injuries or occupational diseases.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The Labour Department today announced that the maximum level of ex gratia payments made from the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund to employees who are owed severance by insolvent employers will be increased from tomorrow.

Following a Legislative Council resolution under the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Ordinance, the maximum level of payment will be increased from $100,000 to $200,000, plus 50% of any excess entitlement.

The adjusted maximum amount will take effect tomorrow upon the resolution’s publication in the Government Gazette, and will apply to severance where the liability for payment arises on or after that date.

The department said the legislative amendment will strengthen protection of employees’ entitlement to severance payment upon business closures.