Tag Archives: China

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:      The Hospital Authority (HA) spokesperson today (March 6) announced that confirmation has been received from the Medical Council of Hong Kong on the approval of&nbs… read more

     The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr James Lau, visited Kwai Tsing District this afternoon (March 6).
 
     Mr Lau first visited a youth centre of the Federation of New Territories Youth Foundation in Tsing Yi, where he was briefed on the centre’s facilities and services, including its annual Mainland summer internship programme. He had a chat with past participants and said he was glad to learn that they had made use of the job placement in Fujian to understand more about the latest developments and work culture in the Mainland, and had been actively equipping themselves for career planning.
 
     He then proceeded to the Women Service Association in Kwai Chung Estate to learn more about the Neighbourhood Support Child Care Project provided there. Launched by the Social Welfare Department, the Project aims at providing flexible day care services for children to meet the needs of parents in the neighbourhood. Mr Lau had an exchange with the persons-in-charge and child carers, saying that in this year’s Budget, the Government will allocate additional resources to increase professional and supporting manpower for the Project to strengthen training for home-based child carers so as to enhance the quality of services. In addition, incentive payments to these carers will be raised.  
 
     Before concluding the visit, Mr Lau exchanged views with the Chairman of the Kwai Tsing District Council, Mr Law King-shing, and other members on various issues of concern, including management fees of the Mandatory Provident Fund schemes, cross-border mobile payment and opening of bank accounts.
 

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     The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Joshua Law, today (March 6) visited Sham Shui Po District, where he exchanged views with District Council (DC) members and visited an art and design college and a social services centre. … read more

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (March 6) investigating a case of Legionnaires’ disease (LD), and stressed the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems and that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions.

     The male patient, aged 84 with underlying illnesses, who lives in a residential care home for the elderly (RCHE) in Aberdeen, has developed fever and shortness of breath since March 3. He sought medical attention at the Accident and Emergency Department of Queen Mary Hospital on the same day and was admitted to the Hospital on the next day (March 4) for treatment. The clinical diagnosis was pneumonia and he has been in a stable condition.
 
     The patient’s urine sample tested positive for Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 antigen upon laboratory testing.
 
     Initial enquiries revealed that the patient had no travel history in the incubation period.

     “Epidemiological investigations with the RCHE are ongoing to identify potential sources of infection, high-risk exposure and clusters, if any. Relevant water samples and environmental swabs have been collected from potential sources for testing,” a spokesman for the CHP said.
 
     Tracing of contacts including staff and residents in the RCHE where the patient stayed is ongoing and those identified will be put under medical surveillance. The CHP has provided health advice against LD to staff and residents, including those with weakened immunity who should use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing.

     Legionellae are found in various environmental settings and grow well in warm water (20 to 45 degrees Celsius). They can be found in aqueous environments such as water tanks, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, whirlpools and spas, water fountains and home apparatus that support breathing. People may get infected when they breathe in contaminated droplets (aerosols) and mist generated by artificial water systems, or when handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes.

     Persons with weakened immunity should strictly observe the health advice below:
 

1. Use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing;
2. Avoid using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices. A shower may also generate small aerosols; and
3. If using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices, fill the water tank with only sterile or cooled freshly boiled water, and not water directly from the tap. Also, clean and maintain humidifiers/devices regularly according to manufacturers’ instructions. Never leave stagnant water in a humidifier/device. Empty the water tank, wipe all surfaces dry, and change the water daily.

     The public, including susceptible groups, should take heed of the general precautions against LD below:
 

• Observe personal hygiene;
• Do not smoke and avoid alcohol consumption;
• Strainers in water taps and shower heads should be inspected, cleaned, descaled and disinfected regularly or at a frequency recommended by the manufacturer;
• If a fresh water plumbing system is properly maintained, it is not necessary to install domestic water filters. Use of water filters is not encouraged as clogging occurs easily, which can promote growth of micro-organisms. In case water filters are used, the pore size should be 0.2 micrometres (µm) and the filter needs to be changed periodically according to the manufacturer’s recommendations;
• Drain and clean water tanks of buildings at least quarterly;
• Drain or purge for at least one minute the infrequently used water outlets (e.g. water taps, shower heads and hot water outlets) and stagnant points of the pipework weekly or before use;
• Seek and follow doctors’ professional advice regarding the use and maintenance of home respiratory devices and use only sterile (not distilled or tap water) to clean and fill the reservoir. Clean and maintain the device regularly according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After cleaning/disinfection, rinse the device with sterile water, cooled freshly boiled water or water filtered with 0.2 µm filters. Never leave stagnant water in the device. Empty the water tank, keep all surfaces dry, and change the water daily; and
• When handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes:

     1. Wear gloves and a face mask;
     2. Water gardens and compost gently using low pressure;
     3. Open composted potting mixes slowly and make sure the opening is directed away from the face;
     4. Wet the soil to reduce dust when potting plants; and
     5. Avoid working in poorly ventilated places such as enclosed greenhouses.

     More information is available in the CHP’s LD page, the Code of Practice for Prevention of LD and the Housekeeping Guidelines for Cold and Hot Water Systems for Building Management of the Prevention of LD Committee, and the CHP’s risk-based strategy for prevention and control of LD. read more

     The Government has appointed Ms Mary Ma Xuezheng and re-appointed Ms Anita Fung Yuen-mei, Mr Rafael Gil-Tienda and Mr Stephen Yiu Kin-wah as members of the Board of Directors of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) for a term of around two years from the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the HKEX in 2019 until the conclusion of the AGM of the HKEX in 2021.
 
     Announcing the appointments today (March 6), the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, said, “The appointments to the Board of the HKEX represent an important safeguard of the interest of the public. Ms Fung, Mr Gil-Tienda, Mr Yiu and Ms Ma are well respected and experienced professionals in the financial services and business sector. They also have immense experience in public services.
 
     “Ms Ma has extensive experience in corporate finance, private equity and Mainland businesses. Her rich experience and knowledge in the financial services sector will contribute to the HKEX’s strategies to deepen financial co-operation with the Mainland and promote Hong Kong as a premier capital formation centre.”
 
     The Board of the HKEX comprises a maximum of six directors appointed by the Financial Secretary, a maximum of six directors elected by shareholders, and the Chief Executive of the HKEX.
 
     The other incumbent directors appointed by the Financial Secretary are Mrs Laura Cha May-lung and Mr Benjamin Hung Pi-cheng.

     “We trust that all the directors will work closely together to further the development of Hong Kong as a capital raising and risk management platform in the best interest of the public at large,” Mr Chan said.

     The tenure of Mrs Margaret Leung Ko May-yee will be completed after the conclusion of the AGM of the HKEX in 2019. Mr Chan expressed his gratitude to Mrs Leung for her dedicated services and invaluable contribution to the HKEX in the past six years.  
 
     The above appointments are made under the Securities and Futures Ordinance. The Ordinance, together with the HKEX’s Articles of Association, empowers the Financial Secretary to appoint not more than six persons to be members of the Board of Directors of the HKEX where the Financial Secretary is satisfied that it is appropriate to do so in the interest of the investing public or in the public interest. read more