Police today (July 15) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in North Point.  

     Wong Tsun, aged 87, went missing after he was last seen on Lau Li Street near Electric Road yesterday (July 14) afternoon. His family made a report to Police today.

     He is about 1.57 metres tall, 59 kilograms in weight and of thin build. He has a square face with yellow complexion and short greyish-white hair. He was last seen wearing a grey polo shirt, black long trousers, black shoes, carrying a black waist bag and a white plastic bag.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Person Unit of Hong Kong Island on 2860 1040 or 9886 0034 or email to rmpu-hki@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.
     
 

  

     â€‹Hong Kong Customs and the Department of Health (DH) conducted a joint operation and raided a medical centre in Tsim Sha Tsui on July 12. A total of 162 boxes of suspected counterfeit vaccines and 163 boxes of vaccines containing Part 1 poison with an estimated market value of about $750,000 in total were seized.

     The DH earlier received a complaint alleging the use of a suspected problematic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine by a medical centre and conducted a joint investigation with Customs. After preliminary investigation with the assistance of the trademark owner, officers from Customs and the DH conducted joint enforcement action on July 12 and raided a medical centre located at a commercial building in Tsim Sha Tsui where the suspected counterfeit vaccines and vaccines containing Part 1 poison were seized. Samples of the vaccines will be sent to the Government Laboratory for analysis.

     A 35-year-old female director and two female staff members of the medical centre, aged 27 and 30, were arrested.

     Investigations by Customs and the DH are ongoing.

     Customs reminds consumers to select reputable medical centres with care and verify with the trademark owners or their authorised agents if the authenticity of a vaccine is in doubt. Customs also reminds registered healthcare professionals to be cautious and prudent in merchandising of vaccines since the possession of counterfeit goods for any trade or business is a serious crime and offenders are liable to criminal sanctions.

     The DH urged members of the public who have felt unwell after receiving HPV vaccines to seek advice from healthcare professionals. According to the recommendation of the World Health Organization, the primary target group for cervical cancer vaccination is young women aged 9 to 14 years prior to becoming sexually active. Members of the public who have doubts on whether they should vaccinate or receive booster vaccines are advised to consult healthcare professionals. In addition, registered healthcare professionals should only procure registered pharmaceutical products from licensed wholesale dealers.

     Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, any person who sells or possesses for sale any goods with a forged trademark commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

     Under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, any person who possesses any poison included in Part 1 of the Poisons List other than in accordance with provisions commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for two years.

  

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for Kowloon Hospital (KH) announced a sentinel event today (July 15) as follows:

     A female patient staying at the psychiatric ward of KH was found unresponsive and with a towel stuffed in her mouth at 6.53am this morning. Ward staff pulled out the towel and performed resuscitation immediately. The patient was subsequently transferred to Kwong Wah Hospital for further resuscitation and was certified dead at 8.12am.

     The hospital had all along been providing appropriate treatment, regular assessment and observation of emotional status since the patient was admitted on July 8. Ward staff conducted a regular ward patrol and observed no abnormality of the patient at 6.30am. KH made a report to the Police immediately and will fully co-operate in the investigation.

     The hospital is saddened by the incident and will keep close contact with relatives to provide necessary support. The incident has been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office via the Advance Incident Reporting System. A Root Cause Analysis Panel will be set up to look into the incident and propose recommendations. The incident has also been reported to the coroner for follow-up.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     Regarding an earlier announcement on a cluster of patients infected with Influenza A in a male medical ward, the spokesperson for Tseung Kwan O Hospital made the following update today (July 15):
 
     Two more male patients (aged 63 and 73) in the same ward presented with upper respiratory tract symptoms. Virological tests were positive for Influenza A. One patient is being treated under isolation with stable condition, while the other had recovered and been discharged.
 
     Infection control measures have already been stepped up according to the established guidelines. All other patients in the ward are under close surveillance. The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.
 

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (July 15) investigating a case of measles infection.

     The case involves a 35-year-old man with good past health, who has developed a fever since July 4 and a rash since July 6. He attended the Out-patient Clinic at Hong Kong Baptist Hospital (HKBH) on July 5 and 7. He sought medical advice from a general practitioner on July 8 and was admitted to HKBH for treatment on the same day.

     A laboratory test of his respiratory specimen was positive for the measles virus. He is in a stable condition and has been discharged. He reported to have received measles vaccination. He travelled to Tokyo and Taipei during the incubation period but had no travel history during the communicable period.

     According to the patient, he did not have contact with measles patients during the incubation period. His home contacts have remained asymptomatic so far and have been put under medical surveillance.

     Upon notification of the case, the CHP immediately commenced epidemiological investigations and conducted relevant contact tracing. Investigations are ongoing. The public places the patient visited during the communicable period are listed in the appendix.

     A spokesman for the DH said, "Those who might have had contact with the patient during the period of communicability are urged to observe if they have developed measles-related symptoms, and to seek medical treatment immediately if such symptoms appear. If they need to visit any health care facilities during the period of medical surveillance, they should also report whether they have symptoms and prior measles exposure history to the healthcare workers so that appropriate infection control measures can be implemented at the healthcare facilities concerned to prevent any potential spread."

     The spokesman explained that measles is a highly infectious disease caused by the measles virus. It can be transmitted by airborne droplets or direct contact with nasal or throat secretions of infected persons, and, less commonly, by articles soiled with nose and throat secretions. A patient can pass the disease to other persons from four days before to four days after the appearance of skin rash.

     "The incubation period (the period from infection to appearance of illness) of measles ranges from seven days to 21 days. Symptoms of measles include fever, skin rash, cough, runny nose and red eyes. If symptoms arise, members of the public should wear surgical masks, stop going to work or school and avoid going to crowded places. They should also avoid contact with non-immune persons, especially persons with weakened immunity, pregnant women and children aged below one. Those suspected to have been infected are advised to seek medical attention as early as possible and reveal relevant contact history of measles to healthcare professionals," the spokesman advised. 

     "Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles. Members of the public who are planning to travel to places with high incidence or outbreaks of measles should review their vaccination history and past medical history, especially people born outside Hong Kong who might not have received measles vaccination during childhood. The history of measles vaccination in Hong Kong is available in the CHP's measles thematic page. Those who have not received two doses of measles-containing vaccines, with unknown vaccination history or unknown immunity against measles are urged to consult their doctor for advice on vaccination at least two weeks before departure," the spokesman said.
 
     Besides being vaccinated against measles, members of the public should take the following measures to prevent infection:
 

• Maintain good personal and environmental hygiene;
• Maintain good indoor ventilation;
• Keep hands clean and wash hands properly;
• Wash hands when they are dirtied by respiratory secretions, such as after sneezing;
• Cover the nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing and dispose of nasal and mouth discharge properly;
• Clean used toys and furniture properly; and
• Persons with measles should be kept out of school till four days from the appearance of rash to prevent spread of the infection to non-immune persons in school.

     For more information on measles, the public may call the 24-hour health education hotline 2833 0111 or visit the CHP's measles thematic page. For news of measles outbreaks outside Hong Kong or the latest travel health advice, please visit the website of DH's Travel Health Service.