Author Archives: hksar gov

     Following is a question by the Hon Dominic Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (October 28):
 
Question:
 
It is learnt that in recent months, there has been a substantial increase in the number of patients attending the Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments due to influenza and respiratory illnesses. The longest waiting time at certain A&E departments of public hospitals has exceeded 10 hours. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) given that public hospitals experience manpower shortages during the influenza surges, whether the Government has conducted any assessments of the existing and projected manpower shortfall in healthcare personnel during the current and future influenza seasons, and formulated short-term and long-term measures to address this shortage; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(2) of the cumulative number of healthcare professionals admitted under the Greater Bay Area Healthcare Talents Visiting Programmes since its implementation in 2022; whether the authorities have assessed the effectiveness of the Programmes in supporting the frontline clinical service needs of public hospitals; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(3) given that the Hospital Authority has collaboration with private hospitals over the past five years (including implementing special measures during periods of peak service demand) to refer patients from public hospitals to private hospitals, of the scope of coverage and specific effectiveness of such collaborative arrangements; whether the authorities have plans to further expand the scope of such arrangements and enhance the participation of private hospitals; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(4) whether the Government has made reference to the primary healthcare diversion arrangements and A&E response mechanisms adopted by the Mainland and other places around the world (such as Singapore, Europe and the United States) during peak periods of seasonal infectious diseases, and whether it has implemented measures in Hong Kong that are considered worthy of adoption; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(5) whether the Government has considered further strengthening community-based diversion mechanisms through the Primary Healthcare Commission and District Health Centres in 18 districts in addition to the existing measures, with a view to alleviating the pressure on A&E departments and inpatient wards of public hospitals at source; if so, of the specific measures and targets; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,

      In consultation with the Department of Health (DH) and the Hospital Authority (HA), the reply to the questions raised by the Hon Dominic Lee is as follows :
 
      Hong Kong is currently in the influenza season. Local influenza activity increased with fluctuations from late June this year, reaching the peak in early September, and currently remains at a high level. In mid-October, the percentage of influenza virus positive detections in respiratory specimens remained above the baseline level. The Centre for Health Protection of the DH anticipates that influenza activity will continue to fluctuate at a high level in the coming weeks. Although influenza activity has remained at a high level, there is currently no information suggesting that the increase in attendances arising from influenza and respiratory illnesses in recent months has placed an excessive burden on the Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments in public hospitals. 
 
      The A&E departments in public hospitals aim to provide A&E services for critically ill or seriously injured people and victims of disasters. At present, 18 public hospitals under the HA provide A&E services. The A&E departments implement a patient triage system under which patients are classified into five categories, namely Critical, Emergency, Urgent, Semi-urgent and Non-urgent, based on their clinical conditions, and receive treatment according to the priority of their urgency category. The HA’s service targets specify that all Critical patients (i.e. 100 per cent) will receive immediate treatment. Patients classified as Emergency and Urgent are also accorded priority treatment upon arrival at the A&E departments, with the targets being that most Emergency patients (95 per cent) and Urgent patients (90 per cent) will be treated within 15 minutes and 30 minutes respectively. 
 
      Following the implementation of the fees and charges reform for public healthcare, the efficiency of A&E services for patients requiring emergency care in public hospitals has improved. Taking September 2026 as an example, the service targets for Category I (Critical) and Category II (Emergency) patients were fully achieved, with 100% of Critical patients receiving immediate treatment and Emergency patients being treated within 15 minutes. The proportion of Category III (Urgent) patients receiving treatment within 30 minutes reached 90.6 per cent, higher than the 83.1 per cent recorded in the same month last year. As for Category IV (Semi-urgent) and Category V (Non-urgent) patients, the average waiting time was 152 minutes, which was comparable to that of the same month last year. 
 
(1), (4) and (5) To effectively respond to the influenza season and alleviate the burden on the healthcare system, the Government has adopted a multi-pronged prevention and control strategy, with vaccination serving as the primary line of defence. At the same time, the Health Bureau (HHB), the DH and the HA have all along closely monitored the activity of seasonal communicable diseases and the service demand of public hospitals. Contingency arrangements have been formulated in advance, and resources and manpower are deployed as necessary in response to actual circumstances, with a view to ensuring that patients in need receive appropriate and timely treatment.
 
     Vaccination has been scientifically proven to be one of the most effective means to prevent severe cases of seasonal influenza and its complications. It also reduces the risks of in-patient admission and mortality. All members of the public aged six months or above, except those with known contraindications, should receive seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV). The Government has all along encouraged the public to receive vaccination early, and has been providing free or subsidised SIV to eligible high-risk groups through various vaccination programmes. The 2026/27 SIV Programme commenced on September 17, 2026. With the concerted efforts of various sectors of the community, including the medical sector, schools, parents and residential care homes, as at October 19 this year, around 900 000 doses of SIV had been administered under the various SIV programmes in the 2026/27 season, representing a decrease of about 10 per cent compared with the same period last year. The current influenza season has lasted for nearly four months to date. As of October 22, there had been a total of 26 cases of severe paediatric influenza infection (of which 20 had recovered and been discharged, two are in serious condition, two are in critical condition, and two have died). Among these cases, 16 patients had not received SIV in the preceding season. A total of 869 adult cases of severe influenza infection, including 599 deaths, have also been recorded so far in current influenza season. Among these cases, 459 patients had not received SIV in the preceding season. Members of the public are urged to receive SIV as early as possible in order to build an immunity barrier in the community and reduce the risk of severe illness and mortality.
 
     To facilitate vaccination for the public, vaccination venues under the SIV Programme are located across Hong Kong. Eligible persons may receive SIV at about 270 public service points, including around 110 designated clinics under the DH located in various districts across the territory; 77 Family Medicine Clinics and 38 public hospitals under the HA; and 45 District Health Centres, District Health Centre Expresses and their service points under the Primary Healthcare Commission. In addition, more than 1 900 private doctors have participated in the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme, providing vaccination services at over 3 100 service points across all districts of Hong Kong.
 
     Moreover, the DH is actively collaborating with the District Councils and the District Services and Community Care Teams to encourage the organisation of vaccination activities in the community. The DH has also strengthened interdepartmental collaboration, including partnerships with the Social Welfare Department and the Hong Kong Housing Society, to promote SIV outreach activities at District Elderly Community Centres, Neighbourhood Elderly Centres and elderly housing projects.
 
     Regarding hospital services, the HA closely monitors the service data of public hospitals and assesses service demand, as well as the corresponding resource and manpower requirements, having regard to a basket of parameters. The HA will activate service surge contingency measures in light of the actual situation. These measures include flexible manpower deployment and increasing service capacity through special honorarium schemes, with a view to alleviating short-term manpower pressure. In addition, to meet the clinical needs of elderly patients, the A&E departments work closely with geriatric departments and, through the Integrated Discharge Support Programme for Elderly Patients, provide transitional integrated support services for hospitalised patients aged 60 or above who are at a higher risk of emergency re-admission after discharge, thereby reducing the likelihood of emergency re-admissions and alleviating service demand for A&E services.
 
     While enhancing the response capability of hospitals, the Government has also been promoting patient diversion to enable patients to receive treatment at the appropriate level of care. The Government has all along encouraged patients with milder conditions to make better use of primary healthcare services, including family doctor services in the community, so as to alleviate the pressure on the A&E departments in public hospital, allowing the A&E departments to focus resources on handling patients with urgent medical needs. Since January 1, the HA has regularised the A&E refund arrangement, allowing eligible patients with stable conditions to opt for consultation at other healthcare institutions while waiting, thereby providing greater flexibility in making alternative consultation arrangements.
 
     To meet the primary healthcare needs of the public, 15 HA Family Medicine Clinics provide services during Sundays and public holidays. Having regard to days with high service pressure, the HA has also increased an additional 10 000 consultation quotas as necessary. Depending on the actual circumstances, the HA also increases the number of clinics providing services to 18 during public holidays such as Christmas and New Year, offering the public more options for seeking medical care.
 
     As regards family doctor services, around 1 000 Western medicine practice premises and about 1 000 Chinese medicine practice premises currently provide evening consultation services under the Primary Care Directory. The Primary Healthcare Commission will continue to encourage primary healthcare service providers to provide services during long holidays, and will also consolidate information on private healthcare institutions providing services during public holidays across the 18 districts of Hong Kong. Members of the public may access information (including addresses, telephone numbers and service hours) on these healthcare institutions through the “Doctor Search” function on the eHealth website and the eHealth mobile application. This would facilitate members of the public in identifying suitable private healthcare services in the community during non-office hours and public holidays, thereby diverting non-urgent attendances from the A&E departments.
 
     The HHB co-ordinates the policy measures for responding to peak seasons of seasonal communicable diseases, which are implemented by the DH, the HA and the Primary Healthcare Commission. They will continue to review the relevant arrangements, and keep in view and draw reference from good practices and experience in the Mainland and overseas jurisdictions, taking into account the healthcare system, service demand and operational circumstances in Hong Kong. Adjustments will be made where appropriate to continuously enhance local service arrangements.
 
(2) The HA has all along been actively promoting exchanges of healthcare professionals with the Mainland. Since the fourth quarter of 2022, the HA has launched the Greater Bay Area Healthcare Talents Visiting Programmes (the Programmes) to facilitate time-limited professional exchanges between healthcare professionals from the two places. The objective of the Programmes is not to alleviate service demand in public hospitals, but to enhance the quality of healthcare services in both places through mutual exchange and learning among healthcare professionals. The exchange period ranges from several weeks to 12 months and covers healthcare professionals from different disciplines, including doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and Chinese medicine practitioners. The Programmes have been well received by participating healthcare professionals from both sides.
 
     Having regard to factors such as the clinical experience of Mainland healthcare professionals participating in the short-term exchanges and the operational needs of individual departments, the HA arranges for them to join clinical departments in HA hospitals and work alongside local healthcare teams. They may provide appropriate clinical services to patients, participate in clinical procedures, and take part in teaching and research activities where appropriate. As for Chinese medicine experts, their primary role is to provide training for local Chinese medicine practitioners participating in the HA’s Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine services.
 
     The table below sets out the relevant figures on healthcare professionals from the Greater Bay Area who came to Hong Kong for exchange under the Programmes since inception and up to September 30, 2026:
 

Professionals	Cumulative Number of Greater Bay Area Healthcare Professionals Participating in the Programmes since Inception and up to September 30, 2026
Doctors	92
Nurses	333
Allied Health Professionals	72
Chinese Medicine Practitioners (Note 1)	26

 
(3) Through the existing Low-charge Hospital Beds Programme in private hospitals, as well as collaboration programmes with Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong and the CUHK Medical Centre, the HA arranges, where appropriate, for suitable patients whose conditions are relatively stable to be transferred to the relevant private hospitals for the continuation of necessary treatment, such as post-operative care and rehabilitation services. The objective of the programmes is to alleviate bed occupancy pressure in public hospitals, rather than to specifically address influenza.
 
     The HA will continue to make good use of the above programmes and, make appropriate arrangements having regard to service demand and hospital bed utilisation.

Note 1: The figure represents the cumulative number of Chinese medicine experts included in the Chinese Medicine Expert Database. Upon joining the Database, the experts may be invited by the HA from time to time to come to Hong Kong to provide clinical training in accordance with the relevant training programmes. read more

     ​Following is a question by the Hon Albert Chuang and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (October 28):
 
Question:
 
     The Government launched the Hostels in the City Scheme (the Scheme) in 2025 to encourage the market to convert existing commercial buildings into student hostels on a self-financing and privately-run basis to increase the supply of student hostel places. In view of market responses, the facilitation measures under the Scheme were subsequently expanded to cover newly built and redeveloped student hostels. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) given that according to the latest figures announced in the Chief Executive’s 2026 Policy Address, 41 applications have been confirmed to be eligible under the Scheme so far, of the reasons for those processed applications not being confirmed to be eligible;
 
(2) of the number of applications received, broken down by the following three categories: (i) applications for wholesale or partial conversion of existing hotels into student hostels; (ii) waiver applications submitted for existing commercial buildings; and (iii) applications involving lease modification and payment of premium;
 
(3) whether the Government has projected the total number of student hostel places to be completed this year; whether the Government will consider, in the long run, pegging the annual supply of hostel places designated under the Scheme to the additional number of students resulting from the relaxation of the admission quota of non-local students of funded post-secondary institutions to 50 per cent of local student places; and
 
(4) given that the Government revealed earlier that it would put up three spade-ready sites in Kai Tak, Siu Lek Yuen in Sha Tin and Tung Chung East for sale by public tender in 2026-2027 for student hostel development, which could provide around 4 500 hostel places according to preliminary estimates, of the current implementation progress and expected completion time of the plan?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     ​To consolidate Hong Kong’s position as an international post-secondary education hub, the Development Bureau (DEVB) and the Education Bureau (EDB) jointly launched the Hostels in the City Scheme (the Scheme) in July 2025. Through relaxed development control measures, the Scheme encourages the market to convert or redevelop existing commercial buildings into student hostels on a self-financing and privately-run basis, thereby increasing the supply of hostel spaces for post-secondary students. Applications confirmed as eligible under the Scheme are still required to comply with all development control requirements before the proposed student hostel projects can proceed.
 
     ​In respect of the various parts of the question, having consulted the EDB, the reply is as follows:
 
(1) As at October 28, 2026, the EDB has received a total of 52 applications. Of these, 45 applications involving around 11 450 hostel places have been confirmed eligible under the Scheme. The majority are wholesale conversion cases located in urban areas including Yau Tsim Mong, Kwun Tong, Sham Shui Po, Wan Chai, and Central and Western Districts. Six applications are under processing, while the remaining one was not confirmed as eligible because the hostel design failed to meet the safety and liveability requirements.
 
(2) Of the 45 applications confirmed as meeting the eligibility requirements of the Scheme:
 
(i) two involved wholesale or partial conversion of existing hotels into student hostels; and 
 
(ii) and (iii) to date, five applications have been submitted to the Lands Department (LandsD) for waivers or lease modifications with premium implications, while seven other cases have yet to submit relevant applications for LandsD’s processing.
 
(3) As at October 28, 2026, a total of four projects under the Scheme had been completed and commenced operation in the 2026/27 academic year, providing approximately 700 hostel places for post-secondary students.
 
     In addition to the four completed projects, five cases (involving approximately 740 hostel places) have obtained all the approvals related to development control and are currently undergoing conversion works. The works are expected to be completed in about a year.
 
     The Scheme focuses on streamlining development-control procedures and providing one-stop facilitation measures to encourage the market to increase the supply of student hostel places. However, whether to convert or redevelop commercial buildings into student hostels is ultimately a commercial decision. The Government therefore has no intention to set a specific target for the number of hostel places, or to link the annual supply of hostel places with the additional student intake arising from the relaxation of the quota for non-local students.
 
(4) The DEVB plans to put up for tender the Siu Lek Yuen (Shatin) site in the third quarter of this financial year for post-secondary student hostel development under the Scheme. It is preliminarily estimated that this will provide around 600 beds. Having regard to the tender results of the Siu Lek Yuen (Shatin) site, the Government will consider whether and when to put the Kai Tak and Tung Chung East sites up for sale. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Dominic Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (October 28):
 
Question:
 
It is learnt that in recent months, there has been a substantial increase in the number of patients attending the Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments due to influenza and respiratory illnesses. The longest waiting time at certain A&E departments of public hospitals has exceeded 10 hours. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) given that public hospitals experience manpower shortages during the influenza surges, whether the Government has conducted any assessments of the existing and projected manpower shortfall in healthcare personnel during the current and future influenza seasons, and formulated short-term and long-term measures to address this shortage; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(2) of the cumulative number of healthcare professionals admitted under the Greater Bay Area Healthcare Talents Visiting Programmes since its implementation in 2022; whether the authorities have assessed the effectiveness of the Programmes in supporting the frontline clinical service needs of public hospitals; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(3) given that the Hospital Authority has collaboration with private hospitals over the past five years (including implementing special measures during periods of peak service demand) to refer patients from public hospitals to private hospitals, of the scope of coverage and specific effectiveness of such collaborative arrangements; whether the authorities have plans to further expand the scope of such arrangements and enhance the participation of private hospitals; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(4) whether the Government has made reference to the primary healthcare diversion arrangements and A&E response mechanisms adopted by the Mainland and other places around the world (such as Singapore, Europe and the United States) during peak periods of seasonal infectious diseases, and whether it has implemented measures in Hong Kong that are considered worthy of adoption; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(5) whether the Government has considered further strengthening community-based diversion mechanisms through the Primary Healthcare Commission and District Health Centres in 18 districts in addition to the existing measures, with a view to alleviating the pressure on A&E departments and inpatient wards of public hospitals at source; if so, of the specific measures and targets; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,

      In consultation with the Department of Health (DH) and the Hospital Authority (HA), the reply to the questions raised by the Hon Dominic Lee is as follows :
 
      Hong Kong is currently in the influenza season. Local influenza activity increased with fluctuations from late June this year, reaching the peak in early September, and currently remains at a high level. In mid-October, the percentage of influenza virus positive detections in respiratory specimens remained above the baseline level. The Centre for Health Protection of the DH anticipates that influenza activity will continue to fluctuate at a high level in the coming weeks. Although influenza activity has remained at a high level, there is currently no information suggesting that the increase in attendances arising from influenza and respiratory illnesses in recent months has placed an excessive burden on the Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments in public hospitals. 
 
      The A&E departments in public hospitals aim to provide A&E services for critically ill or seriously injured people and victims of disasters. At present, 18 public hospitals under the HA provide A&E services. The A&E departments implement a patient triage system under which patients are classified into five categories, namely Critical, Emergency, Urgent, Semi-urgent and Non-urgent, based on their clinical conditions, and receive treatment according to the priority of their urgency category. The HA’s service targets specify that all Critical patients (i.e. 100 per cent) will receive immediate treatment. Patients classified as Emergency and Urgent are also accorded priority treatment upon arrival at the A&E departments, with the targets being that most Emergency patients (95 per cent) and Urgent patients (90 per cent) will be treated within 15 minutes and 30 minutes respectively. 
 
      Following the implementation of the fees and charges reform for public healthcare, the efficiency of A&E services for patients requiring emergency care in public hospitals has improved. Taking September 2026 as an example, the service targets for Category I (Critical) and Category II (Emergency) patients were fully achieved, with 100% of Critical patients receiving immediate treatment and Emergency patients being treated within 15 minutes. The proportion of Category III (Urgent) patients receiving treatment within 30 minutes reached 90.6 per cent, higher than the 83.1 per cent recorded in the same month last year. As for Category IV (Semi-urgent) and Category V (Non-urgent) patients, the average waiting time was 152 minutes, which was comparable to that of the same month last year. 
 
(1), (4) and (5) To effectively respond to the influenza season and alleviate the burden on the healthcare system, the Government has adopted a multi-pronged prevention and control strategy, with vaccination serving as the primary line of defence. At the same time, the Health Bureau (HHB), the DH and the HA have all along closely monitored the activity of seasonal communicable diseases and the service demand of public hospitals. Contingency arrangements have been formulated in advance, and resources and manpower are deployed as necessary in response to actual circumstances, with a view to ensuring that patients in need receive appropriate and timely treatment.
 
     Vaccination has been scientifically proven to be one of the most effective means to prevent severe cases of seasonal influenza and its complications. It also reduces the risks of in-patient admission and mortality. All members of the public aged six months or above, except those with known contraindications, should receive seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV). The Government has all along encouraged the public to receive vaccination early, and has been providing free or subsidised SIV to eligible high-risk groups through various vaccination programmes. The 2026/27 SIV Programme commenced on September 17, 2026. With the concerted efforts of various sectors of the community, including the medical sector, schools, parents and residential care homes, as at October 19 this year, around 900 000 doses of SIV had been administered under the various SIV programmes in the 2026/27 season, representing a decrease of about 10 per cent compared with the same period last year. The current influenza season has lasted for nearly four months to date. As of October 22, there had been a total of 26 cases of severe paediatric influenza infection (of which 20 had recovered and been discharged, two are in serious condition, two are in critical condition, and two have died). Among these cases, 16 patients had not received SIV in the preceding season. A total of 869 adult cases of severe influenza infection, including 599 deaths, have also been recorded so far in current influenza season. Among these cases, 459 patients had not received SIV in the preceding season. Members of the public are urged to receive SIV as early as possible in order to build an immunity barrier in the community and reduce the risk of severe illness and mortality.
 
     To facilitate vaccination for the public, vaccination venues under the SIV Programme are located across Hong Kong. Eligible persons may receive SIV at about 270 public service points, including around 110 designated clinics under the DH located in various districts across the territory; 77 Family Medicine Clinics and 38 public hospitals under the HA; and 45 District Health Centres, District Health Centre Expresses and their service points under the Primary Healthcare Commission. In addition, more than 1 900 private doctors have participated in the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme, providing vaccination services at over 3 100 service points across all districts of Hong Kong.
 
     Moreover, the DH is actively collaborating with the District Councils and the District Services and Community Care Teams to encourage the organisation of vaccination activities in the community. The DH has also strengthened interdepartmental collaboration, including partnerships with the Social Welfare Department and the Hong Kong Housing Society, to promote SIV outreach activities at District Elderly Community Centres, Neighbourhood Elderly Centres and elderly housing projects.
 
     Regarding hospital services, the HA closely monitors the service data of public hospitals and assesses service demand, as well as the corresponding resource and manpower requirements, having regard to a basket of parameters. The HA will activate service surge contingency measures in light of the actual situation. These measures include flexible manpower deployment and increasing service capacity through special honorarium schemes, with a view to alleviating short-term manpower pressure. In addition, to meet the clinical needs of elderly patients, the A&E departments work closely with geriatric departments and, through the Integrated Discharge Support Programme for Elderly Patients, provide transitional integrated support services for hospitalised patients aged 60 or above who are at a higher risk of emergency re-admission after discharge, thereby reducing the likelihood of emergency re-admissions and alleviating service demand for A&E services.
 
     While enhancing the response capability of hospitals, the Government has also been promoting patient diversion to enable patients to receive treatment at the appropriate level of care. The Government has all along encouraged patients with milder conditions to make better use of primary healthcare services, including family doctor services in the community, so as to alleviate the pressure on the A&E departments in public hospital, allowing the A&E departments to focus resources on handling patients with urgent medical needs. Since January 1, the HA has regularised the A&E refund arrangement, allowing eligible patients with stable conditions to opt for consultation at other healthcare institutions while waiting, thereby providing greater flexibility in making alternative consultation arrangements.
 
     To meet the primary healthcare needs of the public, 15 HA Family Medicine Clinics provide services during Sundays and public holidays. Having regard to days with high service pressure, the HA has also increased an additional 10 000 consultation quotas as necessary. Depending on the actual circumstances, the HA also increases the number of clinics providing services to 18 during public holidays such as Christmas and New Year, offering the public more options for seeking medical care.
 
     As regards family doctor services, around 1 000 Western medicine practice premises and about 1 000 Chinese medicine practice premises currently provide evening consultation services under the Primary Care Directory. The Primary Healthcare Commission will continue to encourage primary healthcare service providers to provide services during long holidays, and will also consolidate information on private healthcare institutions providing services during public holidays across the 18 districts of Hong Kong. Members of the public may access information (including addresses, telephone numbers and service hours) on these healthcare institutions through the “Doctor Search” function on the eHealth website and the eHealth mobile application. This would facilitate members of the public in identifying suitable private healthcare services in the community during non-office hours and public holidays, thereby diverting non-urgent attendances from the A&E departments.
 
     The HHB co-ordinates the policy measures for responding to peak seasons of seasonal communicable diseases, which are implemented by the DH, the HA and the Primary Healthcare Commission. They will continue to review the relevant arrangements, and keep in view and draw reference from good practices and experience in the Mainland and overseas jurisdictions, taking into account the healthcare system, service demand and operational circumstances in Hong Kong. Adjustments will be made where appropriate to continuously enhance local service arrangements.
 
(2) The HA has all along been actively promoting exchanges of healthcare professionals with the Mainland. Since the fourth quarter of 2022, the HA has launched the Greater Bay Area Healthcare Talents Visiting Programmes (the Programmes) to facilitate time-limited professional exchanges between healthcare professionals from the two places. The objective of the Programmes is not to alleviate service demand in public hospitals, but to enhance the quality of healthcare services in both places through mutual exchange and learning among healthcare professionals. The exchange period ranges from several weeks to 12 months and covers healthcare professionals from different disciplines, including doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and Chinese medicine practitioners. The Programmes have been well received by participating healthcare professionals from both sides.
 
     Having regard to factors such as the clinical experience of Mainland healthcare professionals participating in the short-term exchanges and the operational needs of individual departments, the HA arranges for them to join clinical departments in HA hospitals and work alongside local healthcare teams. They may provide appropriate clinical services to patients, participate in clinical procedures, and take part in teaching and research activities where appropriate. As for Chinese medicine experts, their primary role is to provide training for local Chinese medicine practitioners participating in the HA’s Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine services.
 
     The table below sets out the relevant figures on healthcare professionals from the Greater Bay Area who came to Hong Kong for exchange under the Programmes since inception and up to September 30, 2026:
 

Professionals	Cumulative Number of Greater Bay Area Healthcare Professionals Participating in the Programmes since Inception and up to September 30, 2026
Doctors	92
Nurses	333
Allied Health Professionals	72
Chinese Medicine Practitioners (Note 1)	26

 
(3) Through the existing Low-charge Hospital Beds Programme in private hospitals, as well as collaboration programmes with Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong and the CUHK Medical Centre, the HA arranges, where appropriate, for suitable patients whose conditions are relatively stable to be transferred to the relevant private hospitals for the continuation of necessary treatment, such as post-operative care and rehabilitation services. The objective of the programmes is to alleviate bed occupancy pressure in public hospitals, rather than to specifically address influenza.
 
     The HA will continue to make good use of the above programmes and, make appropriate arrangements having regard to service demand and hospital bed utilisation.

Note 1: The figure represents the cumulative number of Chinese medicine experts included in the Chinese Medicine Expert Database. Upon joining the Database, the experts may be invited by the HA from time to time to come to Hong Kong to provide clinical training in accordance with the relevant training programmes. read more

     Following is a question by Professor the Hon Sunny Tan and a written reply by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, in the Legislative Council today (October 28):

Question:

     The Administration launched the “New Industrialisation Funding Scheme” (NIFS) (renamed from Re-industrialisation Funding Scheme effective from October 2023) and the “New Industrialisation Acceleration Scheme” in July 2020 and September 2024 respectively, with a view to advancing new industrialisation in Hong Kong and accelerating the development of the innovation and technology industry. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the numbers of applications received and approved cases, the total amount of matching grant approved, as well as the number of new smart production lines or facilities established in Hong Kong since the launch of the two schemes (with the above data provided in tabular form);

(2) given that the Innovation and Technology Commission streamlined the vetting and assessment procedures of the NIFS in June last year to shorten the time taken for vetting and approval of applications seeking funding support of no more than $2.8 million, of the effectiveness of such measures (including the reduction in the average time taken for vetting and approval, the approval rates for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and feedback from the industry); what specific measures will be put in place in the future to further optimise the application procedures, so as to attract more local manufacturers and SMEs to upgrade and transform through the NIFS; and

(3) given that the authorities will announce within this year the medium-to-long-term development plan for new industrialisation in Hong Kong, with a view to accelerating the growth of strategically valuable emerging industries, what specific strategies and supporting measures the authorities have in place to promote the development of emerging industries while at the same time consolidating the foundation of traditional industries with competitive edge such as textiles and apparel, and guiding them towards high-end, smart and green upgrading; whether the authorities will formulate key performance indicators to monitor the effectiveness?

Reply:

President,

     The Government has been committed to developing a new industrialisation system with Hong Kong characteristics. The First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026 – 2030) sets out four major directions for industrial development, including fostering the upgrading and transformation of traditional industries by making use of innovation and technology, developing and strengthening emerging industries of strategic value, planning for future industries, and better developing producer services.

     Having consulted the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the reply to the various parts of the question raised by the Hon Sunny Tan is as follows:

(1) The New Industrialisation Funding Scheme (NIFS) provides funding support on a 1(Government):2(enterprise) matching basis for enterprises to set up new smart production lines in Hong Kong. The maximum funding support for each project is one-third of the total project cost or $15 million, whichever is lower.

     The New Industrialisation Acceleration Scheme (NIAS) provides funding support on a 1(Government):2(enterprise) matching basis for enterprises engaging in life and health technology, artificial intelligence and data science, as well as advanced manufacturing and new energy technologies to set up new smart production facilities in Hong Kong. Each enterprise may receive up to $200 million in funding.

     Relevant figures on the two schemes are tabulated as follows:
 

	NIFS	NIAS
Number of applications (Note)	138	20
Number of supported applications announced (Note)	83 (involving nearly 150 smart production lines)	9
Funding amount	about $500 million	about $1.3 billion
Applicant’s matching fund	about $1.2 billion	about $3 billion
Total investment amount	about $1.7 billion	about $4.3 billion

Note: Does not include withdrawn applications

(2) Since the implementation of the enhancement measure in 2025 to streamline the documentation requirements and assessment procedures for NIFS applications seeking funding support of no more than $2.8 million, the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) have processed 11 such applications (including 10 submitted by small and medium-sized enterprises), and they were all supported by the vetting committee. The average time for applicants to be notified of the vetting results upon submission of all necessary documents had been shortened to 21 working days. This has enabled applicants to kick-start their various tasks under the project as early as possible and was welcomed by the industry. The ITC will continue to review the operation of the NIFS and introduce enhancement measures as and when appropriate.

(3) The Government plans to release the medium-to-long-term development plan for new industrialisation (the Plan) in Hong Kong within this year, setting out a new industrialisation development pathway centred on “high technology, high value‑added” activities. On the one hand, it will actively foster strategic emerging industries, including life and health technology, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing, as well as future industries such as embodied intelligence and biomanufacturing. On the other hand, it will focus on consolidating and upgrading traditional industries with competitive edge, including textiles and garments. In addition, the Government will promote “dual-industry-driven” development, placing equal emphasis on manufacturing and producer services. The Plan will set out the relevant development objectives and policy measures.

     Innovation and technology development is the driving force behind the upgrading and transformation of traditional industries. The Government will continue to support various research and development (R&D) institutions through the Innovation and Technology Fund to conduct R&D and technology transfer projects covering areas such as advanced manufacturing, new energy, life and health, new materials, big data, artificial intelligence of things, robotics, smart mobility, and green technology, with a view to promoting the upgrade and transformation of traditional industries with competitive edge (including the textiles and garments industry).

     In addition, Hong Kong is proactively developing into a high value-added supply chain services centre and better leveraging its unique role to align with our country’s modern industrial system, which includes promoting the upgrade and transformation of traditional industries, as well as cultivating emerging pillar industries. It was announced in the 2026 Policy Address that the Government will establish the Task Force on High Quality Development of Textile and Fashion Industry (Task Force), to be led by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, to enhance the collaboration between government and industry representatives to pursue high-quality development of the textile and fashion industry in areas including innovation and technology, fashion design, supply chain management, sustainable development and brand promotion, as well as nurturing talent, thereby assisting the industry to connect with Chinese Mainland and overseas markets. The Task Force is expected to be set up in the first half of 2027 and submit its report to the Chief Executive within 2027. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hoi-yan and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (October 28):
      
Question:
 
     Since the 2017-2018 school year, the Department of Health (DH) has implemented the Salt Reduction Scheme for School Lunches, under which lunch suppliers voluntarily provide DH with information such as the number of sodium-reduced meal choices. However, it is learnt that some lunch suppliers have not submitted such information for several consecutive months. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
      
(1) of the current number of lunch suppliers participating in the Scheme, the number of primary schools across the territory to which they provide lunches, and the respective percentages of such schools in the total number of primary schools in the territory; the total number of orders of sodium-reduced meal choices provided by lunch suppliers, the number of students who ordered these meal choices and their respective proportions in the total number of meal orders and the total number of students, in each of the past three school years;
 
(2) of the five lunch suppliers that pledged the highest percentages of sodium-reduced meal choices among all meal choices available every month and the relevant percentages over the past three school years; the numbers of orders of sodium-reduced meal choices received by such lunch suppliers and their respective proportions in the total number of meal orders in each of the past three school years;
 
(3) of the total number of lunch suppliers that have participated in the Scheme since its launch, and among them, the respective numbers of those that (i) have withdrawn from the Scheme, and (ii) have been removed from the Scheme by DH and the reasons for their removal;
 
(4) of the number of lunch suppliers that failed to submit the relevant information to DH on time over the past three school years, and the longest period in months for which such information was not submitted; whether DH has taken follow-up actions; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(5) of the number of times DH conducted sample tests on the sodium level of school children’s lunches in each of the past three school years; among such tests, the respective numbers of cases in which the findings were inconsistent with the information submitted by the lunch suppliers or with the pledged rate of reduction in sodium level; whether DH has taken follow-up actions; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(6) given that lunch suppliers are required to report to DH complaints relating to sodium-reduced meal choices, of the total number of complaints received by DH over the past three school years, together with a breakdown by complaint category (including food hygiene, taste and nutrition); the three lunch suppliers that received the largest number of complaints, and the follow-up actions taken by DH?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     In response to the question raised by the Hon Chan Hoi-yan, and after consulting the Department of Health (DH), the consolidated reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:
      
     Excessive intake of sodium could increase the risk of hypertension, which is a major cause of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. The World Health Organization stated that decreasing dietary intake of salt to five grams per day in adults would reduce the risk of stroke by 23 per cent and that of cardiovascular diseases by 17 per cent. According to the results of the DH’s Population Health Survey 2020-22, the average daily salt intake of persons aged 15 to 84 in Hong Kong was 8.4 grams, exceeding the daily limit as recommended by the World Health Organization by nearly 70 per cent. Helping students develop eating habits with less salt from an early age is particularly important for their long-term health, and builds a solid foundation for their future health.
 
     In view of the above, with the full support of the Education Bureau, schools and partners from various sectors, the DH launched the Salt Reduction Scheme for School Lunches under the EatSmart@school.hk Campaign in the 2017/18 school year, encouraging lunch suppliers to voluntarily implement measures to reduce salt in lunches. 
      
     The purpose of the Scheme is to enable students to gradually adapt to foods with less salt, while giving suppliers sufficient time to make adjustments in terms of their recipes, food production procedures, staff training and quality control, so as to progressively lower the sodium level of lunch boxes for students. 
      
     The DH encourages schools to give priority to suppliers that have joined the Scheme in the tendering process. In the 2026/27 school year, a total of 15 lunch suppliers participated in the Scheme, providing services to 465 primary schools across Hong Kong (covering nearly 80 per cent of all primary schools in Hong Kong). The remaining primary schools not covered have separate arrangements mainly due to reasons such as the schools having their own canteens and thus not requiring the purchase of lunch boxes, logistical difficulties in delivery as the schools are located in remote areas, or parents’ views. A cumulative total of seven suppliers have withdrawn from the Scheme. According to the DH’s understanding, the reasons include commercial considerations, business restructuring or no longer providing school lunch services, and there has been no case of a supplier being removed by the DH.
      
     The Scheme recommends that participating suppliers progressively improve their recipes, reducing the sodium content by at least five per cent each year. The DH provides assistance to suppliers, including providing training for their staff on adjusting ingredients and improving production processes, as well as other nutritional guidelines on lunches, and providing professional advice on designing recipes for sodium-reduced meal options. The DH requires suppliers participating in the Scheme to provide the following information on a monthly basis:
 

1. school menus, recipes of sodium-reduced meal options and the corresponding reduction in sodium content; and
2. the pledged percentage of sodium-reduced meal options supplied to schools among all available meal options.

 
     Regarding the reduction in sodium content, the DH mainly adopts a recipe review mechanism to assess the menus, recipes and relevant nutritional information submitted by the suppliers, so as to continuously monitor their sodium-reduction progress. In the past three school years, the sodium content of around 60 to 70 per cent of the sodium-reduced meal options each year met the recommended level for the corresponding school year.
      
     As for the percentage of sodium-reduced meal options among all available meal options, the DH encourages suppliers participating in the Scheme to increase the percentage stated in their individual commitments by 20 per cent each year, so as to gradually reach the target of 80 per cent or above. In the past three school years, the top five suppliers that provided the highest proportion of sodium-reduced meal options had a pledged monthly percentage of about 60 to 85 per cent.
 
     The relevant information, including the names of the suppliers and the pledged percentages, has been uploaded to the thematic webpage of the EatSmart@school.hk Campaign
 (school.eatsmart.gov.hk/en/content_salt.aspx?id=6202) in the form of monthly online reports for public reference.
 
     The DH issues monthly reminders by email and/or phone to suppliers participating in the Scheme on a voluntary basis, reminding them to submit the various information on time, so as to facilitate the DH in understanding the progress towards the target of gradually lowering the sodium content of lunch boxes. Taking into account that redesigning recipes as well as adjusting formulations and cooking methods require the input of additional resources, the DH actively maintains close communication with suppliers participating in the Scheme, provides them advice and co-ordination, and, in particular, adopts flexible arrangements regarding the deadline for providing information for suppliers that have newly joined the Scheme, so as to assist them in catching up with the progress in phases and meeting the targets.
      
     In the past three school years, the majority of suppliers participating in the Scheme submitted the documents on time as tabulated as follows:  
 

School year	Number of suppliers participating in the Scheme	Number of suppliers that submitted the documents on time
2023/24	12	11
2024/25	14	13
2025/26	14	12

 
     Only one to two suppliers each school year failed to submit the documents in time due to internal administrative circumstances such as staff changes, with the longest overdue record being two months. After DH’s enquiries and follow-up, the suppliers concerned subsequently submitted the relevant information.
      
     In the past three school years, the DH has not received any direct complaint from schools or parents about the sodium-reduced lunch options of individual suppliers. However, some suppliers reflected to the DH that some parents indicated that students found the school lunches too bland and unable to fully cater to their preferences, and some parents even considered that catering to students’ preferences was more important than health. The DH encourages suppliers to voluntarily submit figures on complaints, order numbers or numbers of students making orders regarding sodium-reduced meal options, but suppliers may not provide the relevant information due to commercial considerations. The DH has therefore not maintained the relevant data.
      
     The DH will continue to encourage suppliers to uphold the principle of healthy cooking, gradually reduce the sodium content of lunches for students, as well as make good use of natural spices and diverse ingredients to enhance the colour, aroma and taste of lunches while achieving the sodium-reduction targets of the Scheme as soon as possible; and will also monitor the progress of suppliers. At the same time, the DH will continue to strengthen education for schools and parents, working together with them to create an eating environment conducive to the healthy growth of students both at school and outside school. read more