Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, at a media session at Queen Elizabeth Hospital today (January 26):

Reporter: Professor Chan, did you make any concrete promises in the meeting to solve or at least to ease the manpower workload problem immediately?

Secretary for Food and Health: I would say the meeting was very constructive and all the doctors who have attended the meeting have frankly expressed their comments to us. Of course, manpower is the major issue. I have already asked the Hospital Authority to prepare short-, medium- and long-term manpower plans. In fact, last year in the first and second quarter, we have already started the discussion of the medium to long-term manpower plan. So that we are not only to provide or to plan the manpower for the new services in the Hospital Authority, but also to replenish the existing gaps of doctors and nurses in terms of their current services in the Hospital Authority. Just now, there were a lot of constructive comments given to us as to how we can rectify the current situation. Some of them are very practical and doable. The Hospital Authority is going to quickly look into those comments and suggestions and then to work on those so that the existing situation can be improved. Of course, throughout the process of rectifying the current situation, if there are needs of resources or extra resources, the Bureau would definitely try our best to provide the resources needed so that we can solve the current manpower problems in particular. But I think the medium- and long-term manpower planning is very important because we do not want this to happen year after year. Therefore, I think we would be working on short-, medium- and long-term measures in dealing with the entire situation.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA) Chief Executive Dr Leung Pak-yin, Director (Cluster Services) Dr Tony Ko and Head of Human Resources Dr Pang Fei-chau today (January 26) attended the staff forum organised by some doctors unions together with the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan for a direct and open exchange with the frontline doctors.

     HA is fully aware of the tremendous workload faced by frontline colleagues with the sudden increase in service demand during the winter surge, given the current shortfall in manpower.

     HA promised to retain talents with its best efforts to improve the frontline working environment and supporting equipment, enhance training opportunities, facilitate professional development and strengthen protection for professional disciplinary inquiry. Recruitment of full-time and part-time healthcare workers will continue to relieve frontline work pressure.

     Dr Leung expressed heartfelt gratitude to all frontline staff for their commitment and dedication to take care of the patients.  He will continue to listen to the views of frontline staff to address their concerns, and join hands with the frontline in meeting the challenge faced by the public healthcare system.
 

     The Intellectual Property Department (IPD) and the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong (CYMCA) jointly held the "I Pledge" Campaign Observation Wheel Fun Day at the Hong Kong Observation Wheel in Central today (January 26) to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the "I Pledge" Campaign.

     Featuring a host of activities including creative workshops and stage performances as well as digital and fun games, the Fun Day aimed to raise public awareness of and respect for intellectual property (IP) rights and to promote creativity. Participants could also receive "I Pledge" Campaign 20th anniversary edition souvenirs and prizes through participation in the games and other activities. Members of the "I Pledge" Campaign could even get a free ride on the observation wheel. The event attracted over 3 000 participants.

     Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Director of Intellectual Property, Ms Ada Leung, said, "Over the past 20 years, we have regularly organised different types of activities with a theme of IP protection for 'I Pledge' Campaign members. To cater for developments in innovation, we have incorporated elements to promote creativity and STEAM in the promotion and education activities that we launched in recent years. These include design competitions, original live band shows and other creative activities."

     The Chairman of the Social Services Committee of CYMCA, Mr Philip Poon, said, "CYMCA supports original works and respect for IP rights. We have been joining hands with the IPD to promote protection of IP rights by co-organising a wide range of activities throughout the years."

     The IPD launched the "I Pledge" Campaign in 1999 with the aim of promoting respect for IP rights among the public. Since its inception, the Campaign has attracted over 10 000 members who pledged not to get involved in Internet piracy activities; not to purchase or use pirated and counterfeit goods; to respect IP rights of others; and to support and participate in anti-Internet piracy, anti-piracy and anti-counterfeiting activities.

     The IPD attaches great importance to promotion and education work to enhance public awareness of and respect for IP rights. Other than the "I Pledge" Campaign, the IPD has been promoting the "No Fakes Pledge" Scheme, which encourages retail merchants to pledge not to sell counterfeit and pirated products. In addition, the IPD disseminates the message of respecting and protecting IP rights to the public by producing announcements in the public interest, collaborating with various organisations in conducting and supporting a wide range of promotion and education activities, organising interactive drama programmes and interactive tutorial websites for schools, and organising visits to primary and secondary schools, seminars in tertiary institutions and various competitions.

     The Fun Day was supported by CityU Apps Lab, Design for Change Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Comics and Animation Federation, the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education, the Hong Kong Internet and eCommerce Association and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Hong Kong Branch. For details of the "I Pledge" Campaign, please visit: www.ipd.gov.hk/eng/promotion_edu/i_pledge.htm.

  

      Police today (January 26) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Kwun Tong.

     Lau Sun, aged 83, went missing after he was last seen in a market on Kai Tin Road yesterday (January 25) morning. His family made a report to Police on the same day.
             
          He is about 1.6 metres tall, 59 kilograms in weight and of medium build. He has a square face with yellow complexion and short grey hair. He was last seen wearing a dark blue coat, grey trousers, dark red sports shoes and carrying a beige 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 Kowloon East on 3661 0316 or 9886 0060 or email to rmpu-ke-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.
 

  

     The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, today (January 26) called on different sectors in society to work together with the Government to build a friendly community for people with dementia, elderly persons and their carers.

     He noted that two programmes were launched by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) last year in September and October, namely the Dementia Friendly Community Campaign and the Support for Carers Project respectively, each lasting for three years, with an aim to encourage members of the public to take action to support people with dementia and their families, and to raise public awareness and enlist community support for needy elderly people and their carers.

     Speaking at the highlight event of the Dementia Friendly Community Campaign and the Support for Carers Project organised by the SWD, Dr Law said that among a series of activities under the Dementia Friendly Community Campaign, the SWD has commissioned the Hong Kong Alzheimer's Disease Association to assist in organising a number of Dementia Friends Information Sessions.

     Members of the public who have attended the information sessions are eligible to register as internationally recognised Dementia Friends. They can wear the unique Dementia Friends orange wristband to show their support for people with dementia and their carers. They can also share their knowledge on dementia with others in the community.

     More than 5 500 people have registered as Dementia Friends, Dr Law noted, adding that he was hopeful that the target of training 10 000 Dementia Friends within three years could be met.

     Dr Law especially expressed his heartfelt thanks to the 49 property management companies, which are managing over 3 000 residential buildings territory-wide, for their participation in the Support for Carers Project by releasing their front-line staff to receive training provided by the district elderly community centres and neighbourhood elderly centres under respective District Social Welfare Offices of the SWD. The training has enabled them to identify the needs of elderly people and their carers and render suitable assistance, with a view to helping elderly people age in place.

     Also speaking at the event as Dementia Friends, the Chairman of the Elderly Commission, Dr Lam Ching-choi, and the Director of Social Welfare, Ms Carol Yip, appealed to all Dementia Friends to pay more attention to needy people, particularly elderly persons, and wear the orange wristband and stand ready to offer assistance to people with dementia in need around them. They expressed the hope that individuals from all sectors would help promote the dementia-friendly message.

     Ms Yip also thanked the property management companies taking part in the Support for Carers Project and encouraged front-line property management personnel to offer help to residents with dementia.

     Mr Chu Chi-keung, who works in a property management company, attended the event today. Having seen quite a number of relatives and friends diagnosed with dementia and having learnt from colleagues that some residents are likely to have dementia, Mr Chu, apart from registering himself as a Dementia Friend, also encouraged the management and front-line staff of his company to attend information sessions to learn more about the needs of people with dementia.

     Mr Evan Law, a social worker at the Sai Kung District Community Centre Jockey Club Integrated Services Centre, also attended the highlight event. As a trained Dementia Friends Ambassador, he is planning to organise Dementia Friends Information Sessions to encourage young people to learn more about the needs of elderly people with dementia and register as Dementia Friends.

     Initial achievements of the Dementia Friendly Community Campaign were showcased at today's highlight event. So far, a number of territory-wide and district-level talks and activities have been organised, and a set of television and radio Announcements in the Public Interest as well as a thematic webpage have been launched. A television docudrama series jointly produced by the SWD and Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) will be broadcast on Sundays for eight consecutive weeks at 8.30pm on the RTHK TV 31 and 31A channels from tomorrow (January 27). The series will also be rerun on Wednesdays at 6pm on TVB Jade starting from January 30.

     The 49 property management organisations participating in the Support for Carers Project were commended at the event today (see attachment for the list of organisations). It was also noted that artiste Hacken Lee would render his full support to the Dementia Friendly Community Campaign.