Author Archives: hksar gov

     Hong Kong Customs on May 12 and yesterday (May 13) seized about 21 kilograms of suspected ketamine and about 1.1kg of suspected cannabis buds with a total estimated market value of about $10.25 million at Hong Kong International Airport and in Sau Mau Ping.

     Through risk assessment, Customs on May 12 inspected an air cargo consignment, declared as audio cable and arriving in Hong Kong from Belgium, at the airport. The consignee address was a residential address in Sau Mau Ping. Upon inspection, Customs officers found about 21kg of suspected ketamine, with an estimated market value of about $10 million, concealed in the consignment.

     After a follow-up investigation, Customs officers conducted a controlled delivery operation yesterday (May 13) and arrested a male consignee, aged 24, in the aforesaid residential unit in Sau Mau Ping. Customs officers later searched the premises and further seized about 1.1kg of suspected cannabis buds with an estimated market value of about $250,000.

     The arrested person has been charged with two counts of trafficking in a dangerous drug. He will appear at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (May 15).

     Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people, nor to release their personal data or home address to others for receiving parcels or goods.

     Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.

     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

    

     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the Partnering for Success – Hong Kong as a “Super Connector” and “Super Value-adder” High-level Business Luncheon in Kuwait today (May 14):

Your Excellency Khalifa Abdullah Dhahi Al-Ajeel Al-Askar (Minister of Commerce and Industry of Kuwait), Excellency Ambassador Zhang Jianwei (Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the State of Kuwait), Excellency Mr Rabah Al-Rabah (Director General of Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, 

     As-salamu alaykum. Good afternoon. It is a great pleasure to be with you today in Kuwait, home to one of the world’s largest oil reserves, and a country as committed to talent development as it is to economic diversification. 

     This is our second day in your resplendent capital, Kuwait City, where past, present and future – in design, culture, lifestyle and so much more – come together like no other city in the world.

     Yesterday, I was honoured to have met with His Highness Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of Kuwait; His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, the Crown Prince of Kuwait; His Excellency Sheikh Fahad Yousuf Saud Al-Sabah, Acting Prime Minister of Kuwait, and other senior government officials. I thanked them sincerely for the time, interest and hospitality they have shown us, from the moment we arrived in Kuwait. Kuwait has generously arranged for our government delegates to stay at Bayan Palace, a majestic landmark in Kuwait City. I reaffirmed to them the commitment, and sincerity, of Hong Kong and Mainland China in strengthening relations with Kuwait.  

     Yes, I am delighted to be here. So too, are the business and professional leaders with me, a delegation counting some 30 Hong Kong business and institutional heads, together with high-profile representatives of over 20 Chinese Mainland companies from seven provinces and municipalities across the country.

     The delegation brings with them wide-ranging expertise, and invaluable experience, from both Hong Kong and Mainland China, in green development, and innovation and technology, including advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, new energy and materials, health and smart city evolution. They also offer Hong Kong’s wealth of experience in finance, infrastructure, transport and logistics, as well as global business operations and deal-making.

     We are here to better understand the opportunities of Kuwaiti business and investment. To explore how Hong Kong, Mainland China and Kuwait, working together, can create long-term mutual opportunities.

     We’re also here to explore closer ties with the Gulf Cooperation Council (Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, GCC), which, as all of you know, includes Kuwait. Kuwait currently holds the presidency of the GCC, wielding significant influence in the region’s development.

     Our ties run deep and far. China, our country, and Kuwait established diplomatic ties in 1971 – making Kuwait the first GCC country to do so. Last year, trade between China and Kuwait reached well over US$16 billion. 

     Kuwait, I’m pleased to note, was the first country in the Middle East to sign a Belt and Road co-operation document with China. From of the Central Bank of Kuwait’s headquarters building and housing projects, to telecommunications and smart city developments, Chinese enterprises have participated in numerous infrastructure and business projects here.

     Hong Kong treasures its trade ties with Kuwait, too. Last year, our bilateral merchandise trade totalled US$200 million, up more than 21 per cent over the year before. 

     Hong Kong’s trade with the GCC last year reached nearly US$20 billion, up 53 per cent over the past four years. And that robust growth is underpinned by our mutual will to advance trade ties.

     Thanks to our internationally recognised professional services sector, Hong Kong is a pivotal player in the Belt and Road Initiative. In 2023, we included a Middle East Forum, for the first time, at our annual Belt and Road Summit. And we continue to feature Middle East speakers and guests at the Summit. 

     Hong Kong’s Belt and Road Summit will take place in September this year. As earlier the Chairman of the Trade Development Council (Hong Kong Trade Development Council) said, it’s our 10th anniversary Summit, and I invite you all to join us, to take part in a world of Belt and Road opportunities – in business, investment and more.

     And the Asian Financial Forum, Hong Kong’s flagship event bringing together prominent leaders in finance and business sectors, hosted its first GCC Chapter this January. 

     Yes, the ties between Hong Kong and the Middle East continue to grow and diversify. 

     They include the launching of the Middle East’s first two exchange-traded funds tracking Hong Kong stocks. Hong Kong is partnering with a Middle East sovereign wealth fund, too. Together, we are committed to jointly establishing a US$1 billion fund, investing in companies connected to Hong Kong and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.  

     The Greater Bay Area, let me add, is a cluster city development that brings together Hong Kong, Macao and nine southern cities in China. The fast-integrating regional economic powerhouse presents a collective GDP (Gross Domestic Product) that closely rivals the world’s 10th largest economy.

     Hong Kong has much to offer Kuwait. Asia’s financial hub and one of the world’s three biggest financial centres, Hong Kong is also the world’s largest offshore Renminbi business centre. Coupled with our Islamic finance experience, Hong Kong is a trusted partner in your project financing – today and long down the road. 

     Free trade is among our great competitive advantages, fuelling our success for the past two centuries. Hong Kong is a free port, and we will continue to be a free port. Like our country, we are a vocal advocate of a multilateral, rules-based global economy, in spite of mounting protectionism and geopolitical tensions.

     And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a testament to our “one country, two systems” governing principle at work. 

     Under the principle, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has its own legal, legislative and judicial systems. Our legal system is a common law system, similar to that in many major financial hubs around the globe. We maintain our own currency, with no capital or foreign exchange controls. Information, capital, goods and people flow freely in Hong Kong. 

     The principle of “one country, two systems” also gives Hong Kong unparalleled access to our country’s markets and wide-ranging opportunities. It allows us, as well, to pursue our longstanding ties with the world at large, the Middle East very much included. 

     As today’s luncheon title, Partnering for Success: Hong Kong as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” emphasises, we do more than connecting companies and people. We also add value to their businesses, their services and their future.

     With companies and investors from Mainland China, and all over the world, looking for a financial haven in this time of global economic uncertainty, Hong Kong is flourishing, and keen to work with you, our partners. 

     An international financial newspaper, spotlighting the Hong Kong Exchange and its record quarterly profits, recently noted that Hong Kong has, and I quote, “benefited from a spate of initial public offerings and rising interest from Mainland Chinese and global investors in Hong Kong-listed shares, especially of technological-related companies, driven by optimism over China’s progress in artificial intelligence”. 

     That speaks of Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems” advantages working for you – linking a world of investors to the secure and rapidly growing Chinese market.

     It helps, and greatly, that Hong Kong’s economy is inextricably tied to our common law system and a judiciary that exercises its powers independently, a legal regime that resembles many of the world’s leading financial hubs. They give international companies and investors – Kuwait certainly included – all the confidence and the certainty they need to do business, in Hong Kong and throughout China. Kuwait certainly included.

     Ladies and gentlemen, I’m pleased to note that during our visit, Hong Kong and Kuwait have reached consensus on 24 concrete deliverables, through MOUs and related agreements. A ceremony will take place in just a moment.  

     The agreements cover a broad range of collaboration, from trade and the economy, to investment promotion, financial services, aviation and the maritime industries, post-secondary education, the legal profession, sports and more. 

     And our customs authorities will commence negotiations on the mutual recognition of respective Authorized Economic Operator Programmes. This will create smoother, more convenient international links for our respective companies, making it much easier to do business together.  

     Our Airport Authority Hong Kong will soon sign a new MOU with Kuwait Airways, aimed at enhancing air connectivity between the two regions, fostering operational excellence, supporting sustainability, and advancing talent development in the aviation sector.  

     They will lay a solid foundation for long-term collaboration between our two economies and our two peoples. 

     That just touches on our growing co-operation. Indeed, we are now looking into opening a second Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in the GCC region, to manage our many ongoing Middle East projects and prospects in the offering.

     One key area is boosting merchandise trade between our economies. Hong Kong, I’m pleased to say, has signed Comprehensive Double Taxation Agreements (IPPA) with five of the six GCC states. We have also entered into Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements with three of the states, with Kuwait being the first. We have also substantially concluded negotiations on an IPPA with Qatar, our previous stop on this trip, and commenced negotiations with another state. 

     Indeed, our burgeoning trade and investment co-operation, I believe, could well add momentum to the possibility of a free trade agreement between Hong Kong and the GCC. I look forward to our continuing discussions with the Council.

     Beyond business and investment connectivity, there is boundless promise, too, in co-operating in sectors such as arts and culture. 

     Yesterday, we had the pleasure of visiting the dazzling Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre, one of the world’s largest museum complexes. Seeing, firsthand, Kuwait’s compelling commitment to arts, culture and science. I must add that Kuwait is this year’s Arab Culture Capital, presenting nearly 100 activities as part of the country’s cultural celebration.

     Like Kuwait, Hong Kong believes in the primacy of arts and culture. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District is rising as one of the world’s largest cultural developments. And we are committed to becoming the world’s East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. That very much includes Kuwait and the Middle East in general.

     My thanks to our Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in the Middle East and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council for organising today’s welcome gathering. And to the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority and the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry for kindly supporting us on this memorable occasion.

     Ladies and gentlemen, I know you will enjoy today’s luncheon. Including, let me add, a musical performance by TroVessional, a Hong Kong group dedicated to Cantonese and Chinese ethnic music, brought to engaging life with classic Chinese instruments.

     Enjoy it and thank you!

  

     Following is a question by the Hon Tang Ka-piu and a reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (May 14):

Question:

     There are views pointing out that the expansion project of United Christian Hospital (UCH) has been delayed since its launch in 2015, and that the design specifications do not meet the latest medical requirements. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the progress of the aforesaid expansion project and the exact date when the expanded facilities will officially commence operation; whether the completion date of the project is later than originally planned; if so, of the main reasons for that;

(2) as there are views that the design of the renovated buildings and facilities (e.g. height of storeys and load bearing standards, etc) under the aforesaid expansion project is different from the specifications of new hospitals nowadays and may not meet the storage or operational requirements of some medical devices, whether the Government knows if the Hospital Authority has put in place remedial measures or make appropriate arrangements in this regard; and

(3) whether the playground site adjacent to UCH be retained for use in the next phase of the hospital’s expansion project; if so, of the specific boundary of the site and the timetable for planning and survey works; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     Established in 1973, the United Christian Hospital (UCH) is a major acute general hospital in the Kowloon East Cluster (KEC). It provides 24-hour accident and emergency (A&E) services and a range of specialist out-patient, inpatient, ambulatory, extended care and community medical services. Together with the Tseung Kwan O Hospital and the Haven of Hope Hospital in the cluster, the UCH provides comprehensive clinical services to the residents of the Kwun Tong and Sai Kung districts. To meet the ever-increasing healthcare service demand of the two districts, the Government obtained funding approval from the Legislative Council to carry out the main works of the expansion project of the UCH in 2020, which is one of the 16 projects under the First Hospital Development Plan (HDP).

     Having consulted the Hospital Authority (HA), the reply to various parts of the question raised by the Hon Tang Ka-piu is as follows:

(1) The UCH expansion project will not only bring about additional diagnostic and medical facilities to comprehensively improve the ambulatory care services and integrated healthcare services, but also provide a new oncology centre and an additional 560 beds as well as five operating theatres. The area of the expanded A&E Department will be increased to more than 250 per cent, from the existing 1 600 square metres to 4 240 square metres.

     The main works of the expansion project commenced in September 2020 and were originally planned for completion by 2024. Due to some delays, the Ambulatory Block is now anticipated to be progressively completed starting from the end of 2025 and to commence operation in phases in mid-2026 the earliest.

     The expansion project of the UCH involves in-situ expansion and redevelopment. During the works period, on-going clinical operations have to be maintained to provide service and the new block has to interface with the existing hospital premises. As such, adjustments are required to address various construction constraints during the works period. The works progress is therefore affected and deviates from the previously over-optimistically estimated completion time. In addition, other major reasons of the delay can be summarised in the following three points: 

(a) Site constraints

The limited space and vehicular access at UCH, the extensive and complex nature of the project, its location in an old district and the adjacent slope, together with the numerous underground utility pipes and facilities and the difference between their actual and expected locations have resulted in modifications to the design from time to time. The existing underground utilities were also needed to accommodate the actual ground conditions. 

(b) Unsatisfactory performance of the consultants and the contractors of the works

The HA has repeatedly urged the consultants and contractors of the works to take measures to catch up with works progress. If it is proved that the delay was caused by inappropriate design or works arrangements, the HA will follow up in accordance with the terms of the contracts.

(c) Impact from the COVID-19 epidemic and inclement weather 

The contractors’ deployment of manpower and supplies of materials had long been affected by the COVID-19 since the commencement of works in September 2020. The severe epidemic situation during the fifth wave of the epidemic in early 2022 had hindered the progress of the works project. Besides, major exterior works were also affected by inclement weather, resulting in the extension of the overall construction period.

     The expansion project involves in-situ redevelopment, with clinical services being maintained under sub-optimal conditions. I would like to express my gratitude towards all healthcare staff of the UCH and KEC for their patient-oriented spirit in providing high-quality services to the patients unwaveringly, as well as towards the public for their understanding and patience towards the inconveniences during the works period. The HA will continue to maintain close communication with District Councils and the community and report the related works progress and service developments in a timely manner. 

(2) In respect of hospital works projects involving in-situ redevelopment or expansion, as the projects need to be undertaken amidst on-going hospital operations with new block(s) interfacing with existing portions of hospital premises, constraints would be imposed to the relevant designs and the works. Such constraints, however, are not insurmountable. The HA has been taking measures to address them. In setting up healthcare services and facilities in the UCH, existing conditions and constraints, as well as the operational needs have been taken into consideration while new medical facilities are set up in accordance with the relevant standards and specifications, with the structure of the building reinforced according to the requirements in the Building (Construction) Regulation if necessary to ensure that such facilities can operate and meet service needs.

(3) The Government announced in 2018 that it has invited the HA to commence planning for the Second HDP, which was to be implemented to meet the service demand up to 2036. With the changes in the planning and development strategies in Hong Kong and the population policy of the Government, as well as the latest corresponding change in population projections in Hong Kong, the Health Bureau and the HA are currently reviewing the Second HDP by extending the planning horizon to up to 2041 and beyond to project the healthcare services demand. The Health Bureau and the HA also consider the supply of the land required, various major transport infrastructure development plans, etc, as well as the development need of individual hospitals and its cost-effectiveness for optimising the Second HDP, so as to determine the distribution, scale and priority, etc of various hospital development projects under the Second HDP. 

     In the light of the experience gained under the First HDP, the Government will, in the Second HDP, strive to implement hospital development projects on clear sites as far as practicable (such as a composite development in an adjacent government site of existing hospitals) so as to optimise the development potential of the projects, minimise the impact on existing hospital operations and enhance the cost-effectiveness of the redevelopment. In the case of UCH, exploring the use of the adjoining recreational ground as a decanting site for further expansion is an option that may be considered.

     After the completion of the review, the Government will announce the details of the Second HDP at an appropriate juncture.

     Thank you, President. read more

     The Intangible Cultural Heritage Office (ICHO) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will launch the first Hong Kong ICH Month in June with the theme of ICH Around Town, presenting a series of rich and div… read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Nixie Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (May 14):

Question:

     According to government information, breast cancer is the most common cancer among females in Hong Kong, and new cases of breast cancer accounted for 28.6 per cent of all new cancer cases among females in 2022. Among them, HER2 (i.e. human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) low-expression metastatic breast cancer (HER2-low breast cancer) poses a great threat to the lives of patients as it is highly malignant and prone to relapse and metastasis. It is learnt that with advancement in medical technology, the classification of testing results of HER2 has been updated from two (i.e. “positive” and ‘negative’) to three categories (i.e. with the addition of “low-expression”) in the medical guidelines of various places so as to provide precision treatment for patients with HER2 breast cancer. However, there are views pointing out that the existing HER2 testing reports of the Hospital Authority (HA) have not indicated the category of low-expression, nor has HA provided the relevant education to patients, rendering them unable to know their actual condition in a timely manner and thereby missing the golden period of early treatment. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it knows if HA will expeditiously review the classification of the existing HER2 testing reports to clearly indicate the testing result of low expression of HER2, while at the same time providing the relevant patient education, so as to ensure that they fully understand the clinical findings, thereby expeditiously receiving the appropriate treatment protocol; if HA will, of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) whether it knows if HA will consider including drugs targeting HER2-low breast cancer into the safety net for application by patients suffering from that cancer and streamlining the vetting and approval process, so as to enhance the efficiency of vetting and approval of safety net drugs; if HA will, of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) whether the Government has currently formulated public education programmes for different groups of people to raise their awareness of breast cancer screening, including whether it has provided systematic online information and promoted on social media platforms; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     The Government attaches great importance to cancer prevention and control work. In 2001, the Government established the Cancer Coordinating Committee to formulate strategies on cancer prevention and control, and to steer the direction of work covering cancer prevention and screening, surveillance, research and treatment, etc.

     The Government promulgated the Hong Kong Cancer Strategy (Cancer Strategy) in 2019 with a view to reducing the cancer burden of the local population and improving the quality of life and survivorship of cancer patients through setting work priorities and directions. The directions laid down in the Cancer Strategy include reducing risk factors leading to cancer and providing evidence-based screening, seeking early detection and diagnosis, offering timely and effective treatment, strengthening survivorship support to cancer survivors, providing palliative and end-of-life care, investing in technology, enhancing the collaboration among relevant bureaux, government departments, the Hospital Authority (HA), community organisations and civil society, as well as enhancing surveillance and research capabilities. The goal is to better prevent and control various cancers through these directions.

     As for breast cancer screening, based on the recommendations of the Cancer Expert Working Group on Cancer Prevention and Screening under the Cancer Coordinating Committee, the Government adopts a risk-based approach for breast cancer screening and launched the Phase I of the Breast Cancer Screening Pilot Programme (BCSPP) in 2021. In collaboration with non-governmental organisations through a public-private partnership, the Government is now preparing for the Phase II of the BCSPP to provide subsidised breast cancer screening services to women being categorised as high risk of developing breast cancer (viz. carriers of certain germline mutations and/or presence of strong family history of breast cancer/ovarian cancer). The Phase II programme is expected to be launched around the second quarter of 2025. Relevant details will be announced in due course. 

     The reply, in consultation with the Department of Health (DH), the Primary Healthcare Commission (PHC Commission) and the HA, to the question raised by the Hon Nixie Lam is as follows:

(1) According to the data from the Hong Kong Cancer Registry, there were a total of 5 182 new cases of female breast cancer in 2022, of which 1 002 were Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) positive cases.

     At present, the HER2 test performed by the HA consists of immunochemistry (IHC) and genetic testing (in situ hybridisation (ISH)). IHC testing results are scored as follows:

(i) 0 (no staining, or ≤10 per cent of tumor cells show faint or weak membrane staining);
(ii) 1+ (>10 per cent of tumor cells show faint/barely visible incomplete membrane staining);
(iii) 2+ (>10 per cent of tumor cells show weak to moderate complete membrane staining (circumferential staining), or ≤10 per cent of tumor cells show strong complete membrane staining); or
(iv) 3+ (>10 per cent of tumor cells show strong complete membrane staining).

     HER2 immunostaining scores of 0 and 1+ are interpreted as negative for HER2 testing, a score of 2+ as inconclusive, and a score of 3+ as positive. If the HER2 test result is inconclusive (i.e. the immunostaining score is 2+), the hospital will further perform HER2 gene in situ hybridisation testing for the patient to confirm whether there is an amplification of the HER2 gene. If the relevant test shows amplification, the patient’s HER2 test result will be classified as positive; whereas if there is no amplification, it will be classified as negative.

     “HER2 low-expression” mentioned in the question refers to patients with a HER2 immunostaining score of IHC 1+ or a score of IHC 2+ with no amplification shown in in situ hybridisation testing. The HER2 Interpretation Guidelines (a set of international guidelines) were updated in September 2023. Although the new guidelines do not officially classify “HER2 low-expression” as a separate category, it is recommended that an annotation describing the result of “HER2 low-expression” (i.e. IHC 1+ or IHC 2+/ISH with no amplification) be included in the test report to enable physicians to better identify patients who may be suitable for a specific targeted therapy. The “multidisciplinary teams” for breast cancer at the oncology centres of the HA, consisting of oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, advanced practice nurses, etc, are discussing the implementation arrangements for the updated guidelines and will reach a consensus as soon as possible to implement the major updates under the Interpretation Guidelines in a gradual manner, while planning to add annotations to the test reports to explain the results of “HER2 low-expression”. Currently, clinicians will determine, based on the test reports, whether patients are IHC 1+ or IHC 2+ with no ISH gene amplification, thereby providing patients with optimal follow-up.

(2) As the major provider of publicly-funded public healthcare services, the HA attaches great importance to providing optimal treatment for all patients (including cancer patients) while ensuring patients have equitable access to cost-effective drugs of proven safety and efficacy under the highly subsidised public healthcare system.

     The HA has a mechanism in place to regularly evaluate new drugs as well as to review existing drugs on the HA Drug Formulary (HADF) and the coverage of the safety net (including the Samaritan Fund and Community Care Fund Medical Assistance Programmes). In assessing applications for new drugs to be included in the HADF and the coverage of the safety net, the HA follows an evidence-based approach, having regard to the safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness, etc, of the drugs and other relevant considerations, including international recommendations and practices as well as views of professionals and patient groups, etc.

     The HA will pay close attention to the latest scientific and clinical evidence of drugs suitable for treatment of various types of cancer (including “HER2 low -expression” breast cancer), with a view to providing cost-effective drugs of proven safety and efficacy as well as continuous optimal care to patients.

     To shorten the lead time for introducing suitable new drugs to the HADF, the HA has simplified the application process for inclusion of new drugs in the HADF since the end of 2024. Clinicians and pharmaceutical companies can submit new drug applications directly to the Drug Advisory Committee. The frequency of prioritisation exercise for including new drugs in the safety net will also increase from twice a year to four times a year. With the implementation of the above new mechanisms, the HA has been actively optimising the procedures for introducing new drugs into the HADF, with the objective of reducing the time required for introducing new drugs with proven efficacy into the HADF or the coverage of the safety net by half, from the original 10 months to five months; and from 18 months to nine months respectively, so as to enable patients to have access to new drugs as soon as possible, and to obtain the subsidies under the safety net to alleviate the burden of drug expenses.

     Besides, the Government and the HA will press ahead with the implementation of the fees and charges reform for public healthcare announced at the end of March this year, which aims to guide the public to make optimal use of healthcare resources through three aspects, namely reforming the subsidisation structure, reducing wastage and abuse, and enhancing healthcare protection. It also seeks to strengthen the healthcare protection on all fronts for patients who are “poor, acute, serious, critical”. Such measures include enhancing the protection in terms of drugs and medical devices for critically ill patients (including cancer patients) through accelerating the introduction of more effective innovative drugs and medical devices to the HADF and the coverage of the safety net, with a view to ensuring that the limited healthcare resources can be directed in a more targeted manner to assist those patients most in need. This will thereby enhance the sustainability of the healthcare system and enable it to serve as a safety net for all.

(3) The DH has all along been promoting a healthy lifestyle, including avoidance of smoking and alcohol, healthy diet, regular physical activity and maintenance of a healthy body weight, as the primary strategy for preventing cancer and common non-communicable diseases.

     The DH has all along attached importance to the public education of women’s cancer (including breast cancer) and has been promoting breast cancer prevention and screening through various channels and media such as television, radio, websites, printed materials, newspapers, social media, online publicity and media interviews. Educational leaflets have been produced in many ethnic minority languages by the DH for ethnic minorities to comprehend the health information on breast cancer prevention and screening. In addition, the Cancer Online Resource Hub was launched in 2020 to provide the public with accurate and reliable health information relating to cancer.

     Meanwhile, the District Health Centres (DHCs)/District Health Centre Expresses (DHCEs) under the PHC Commission in all districts across the city are actively assisting members of the public in formulating individualised Life Course Preventive Care Plan based on factors such as one’s gender, age and family history. Life Course Preventive Care Plan is an evidence-based comprehensive health strategy that emphasises on prevention and personalised needs and provides guidance on the health needs of citizens across different stages of life. DHCs/DHCEs may also provide members of the public with information related to breast cancer prevention and other women health education services according to their needs. 

     Starting from January 24, 2025, women’s health services under the DH have been progressively integrated into the district health network of the PHC Commission, with the service points named Women Wellness Satellites (WWS). DHCs/DHCEs will identify women in need through basic health assessment and individual counselling, and arrange for them to receive women’s health services at WWSs. WWSs will offer health assessment and counselling tailored to women’s health conditions, breast cancer and cervical cancer screenings according to individual needs, as well as health education activities including talks on breast cancer prevention. read more