The following is issued on behalf of the Road Safety Council:
 
     The Road Safety Council (RSC) 45th Anniversary Ceremony cum Safety Walk Carnival will be held tomorrow (November 25) at the Peak.
 
     This year, the Road Safety Council aims to enhance the community's awareness of road safety by inviting members of the public to participate in the event. There will be different road safety messages at the checkpoints along the route of the 3.5-kilometre safety walk and at the fun-filled game booths of the carnival to alert the members of public to the importance of road safety.
 
     The opening ceremony will be held at the Peak Galleria at 9.30am, and associated programmes will include an award presentation for those who have made outstanding contributions to road safety in 2017-18 and a stage performance. The Chairman of the RSC and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Chairman of the Road Safety Research Committee and Acting Deputy Commissioner for Transport (Planning and Technical Services), Mr Wilson Pang; and the Chairlady of the Road Safety Campaign Committee, Miss Ma Ka-wai, will officiate at the ceremony.

     The safety walk will be held from 9.45am to 2pm. The walking route is from Harlech Road to Lugard Road, with a total distance of 3.5km. Around 1 000 members of the public have enrolled. A Road Safety Carnival will be held at Mount Austin Playground from 10.30am to 3pm, featuring fun-filled game booths with the theme of road safety. Members of the public are welcome to attend for free.

     Senior Police Call (SPC) held the “Share the Love – Senior Police Call 2018” at the Police Sports and Recreation Club today (November 24) with the aim of expressing care and love to the elderly.

     Officiating at the kick off ceremony, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Lo Wai-chung said that “Share the Love – Senior Police Call” was one of the highlights of the SPC events in the year. Following the ceremony, SPC members would visit and distribute blessing bags to the solitary or hidden elderly in 21 Police districts to express care of the Police and the community.

     Six “SPC Fight Crime Vigour” publicity trucks were also launched in the ceremony. The publicity trucks would assist in promoting the event and disseminating the messages of anti-deception and road safety to the elderly community in every district.

     During the ceremony, artistes Sit Ka-yin (SPC Community Care Ambassador), Woo Fung (SPC Fight Crime Ambassador) and Fung So-bo joined SPC members in a singing performance, while artistes Ha Yu and Lee Sze-kei performed in a drama to remind the audience to stay alert to deception.

     In addition, Professor Hui Sai-chuen of Department of Sports Science and Physical Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, joined hands with sports elite Lisa Cheng to demonstrate a body-building exercise. They encouraged senior citizens to strengthen their physical fitness through exercises in order to continue to serve the community.

     Other officiating guests in the ceremony included the Executive Director, Charities and Community, Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mr Leong Cheung, the Chief Social Work Officer (Elderly) of the Social Welfare Department, Ms Woo Mei-hing, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mr Tang Ping-keung, the Police Director of Operations, Mr Siu Chak-yee, the Chairman of SPC Central Advisory Board and the Regional Commander of Hong Kong Island, Mr Yu Tat-chung, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Support), Ms Lam Hiu-tong, and members of SPC Central Advisory Board, Dr Cheng Kam-chung, Mr Lam Kin-hong, and Mr Wu Chor-nam. Some 600 SPC members and guests participated in the event today.

     The SPC Scheme, rolled out in February 2014, aims to promote crime prevention, fight crime, domestic and road safety messages to the elderly. It also provides a platform for the elderly to participate in meaningful activities as well as serve the community. As at October 31, more than 10,100 senior citizens have joined the SPC Scheme.

        

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, chaired the Summit on Disability Inclusion today (November 24). Stakeholders of the rehabilitation sector and employer representatives shared their views and experiences in promoting the employment of persons with disabilities and their participation in arts in a panel discussion on building a disability inclusive society.

     About 500 guests attended the summit, including members of the Rehabilitation Advisory Committee (RAC) and its Sub-committees, Working Groups and Task Forces as well as various stakeholders from self-help organisations of persons with disabilities, parent/carer groups, schools council, arts groups, the business sector and non-governmental organisations. The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, as well as Principal Officials, Under Secretaries and Heads of Departments of relevant policy areas also participated in the summit.

     Following the opening remarks by the Chief Executive on building a disability inclusive society was a panel discussion presided by the Chairperson of the Rehabilitation Programme Plan Review Working Group, Mr Fung Pak-yan, and Hong Kong wheelchair fencing athlete, Miss Yu Chui-yee. Speakers included the Chairperson of the Direction Association for the Handicapped, Ms Rabi Yim; the Director of Corporate Affairs and Philanthropies of Microsoft Hong Kong Limited, Ms Ada Ng; the Chairperson of the Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong, Ms Ida Lam; an Executive Officer of the Government, Miss Agatha Ng; and two artists with disabilities, Ms Lo Pui-yung and Mr Wong Wing-hong. They exchanged views and shared their experience from different perspectives on promoting the employment of persons with disabilities and their participation in arts.

     In the second half of the summit, Mrs Lam; Mr Cheung; the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong; the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan; and the Under Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, exchanged ideas with participating guests on policies and measures to promote the well-beings of persons with disabilities. Views on a variety of issues related to persons with disabilities were expressed enthusiastically.

     The Chief Executive proposed in 2017 to hold Chief Executive Summits on important policy areas. The Summit on Disability Inclusion today is the fourth summit she chaired since assuming office, during which she directly listened to views of the sector and stakeholders, enhancing liaison and communication between policy bureaux/departments concerned on disability affairs within the Government and relevant stakeholders.

     The summit also marked the start of the second stage of a public engagement exercise on "Formulation of Recommendations" for the formulation of a new Hong Kong Rehabilitation Programme Plan (RPP). The public consultation period of the "Formulation of Recommendations" Stage will commence on December 5, 2018, and last until April 4, 2019. The RAC will hold four public consultation sessions in early December 2018 and a number of seminars in the first quarter of 2019 to collect views from stakeholders, with a view to mapping out the strategic directions and recommendations of the new RPP.

  

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     Regarding an earlier announcement on a cluster of patients infected with Rhinovirus in a male ward for severe intellectual disability, the spokesperson for Siu Lam Hospital made the following update today (November 24):

     One more 20-year-old patient in the ward presented with respiratory symptoms. Appropriate viral tests were arranged for the patient and the test results were positive for Rhinovirus. The patient concerned is being treated under isolation with stable condition.

     Admission to the ward has been suspended and restricted visiting has been imposed. Infection control measures have already been stepped up according to established guidelines. All other patients in the ward are under close surveillance.

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

     At the invitation of the Minister of Health of Singapore, the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, will lead a delegation to Singapore tomorrow afternoon (November 25) to attend the Ministerial Conference on Diabetes to be held on November 26 and 27.

     The conference, organised by the Singapore Ministry of Health, will seek to place the importance and benefits of proper prevention and management of diabetes high on the global agenda. It will also share international best practices, experience and innovation aimed at addressing the common modifiable risk factors for diabetes, as well as building capacity in the populations to make healthier choices and follow lifestyle patterns that foster good health.

     Professor Chan said, "Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a major cause of death in Hong Kong. Cardiovascular diseases including heart diseases and stroke, cancers, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases accounted for about 58 per cent of all registered deaths in 2017.

     "To combat the threat posed by NCDs and in line with World Health Organization's Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs 2013-2020, the Government earlier this year launched Towards 2025: Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent and Control NCDs in Hong Kong, which sets out nine local targets to be achieved by 2025, including halting the rise in diabetes and obesity.

     "I believe that the Ministerial Conference on Diabetes will give us useful and valuable insights, and provide a platform for us to exchange views with other health officials regarding effective ways to combat diabetes."

     The delegation, comprising representatives from the Food and Health Bureau, the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority, will also meet with members of the Health Promotion Board and visit a polyclinic before returning to Hong Kong on November 27.

     During Professor Chan's absence from Hong Kong, the Under Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Chui Tak-yi, will be the Acting Secretary for Food and Health.