The Primary Healthcare Commission (PHC Commission) under the Health Bureau announced today (June 5) that the Women Wellness Satellite (WWS) (Hong Kong), located in Chai Wan, will commence operation next Thursday (June 12). It will be the first WWS designated to provide prevention-oriented and more personalised women's health services to eligible women aged 64 or below.

     The Government announced earlier that women's health services under the Department of Health (DH) would be integrated into the PHC Commission, with a phased establishment of three WWSs in Hong Kong, Kowloon, and New Territories to strengthen the multidisciplinary primary healthcare service network. The WWS (Hong Kong) will be the first to commence operation. It is located on 2/F, Chai Wan Health Centre, 1 Hong Man Street, Chai Wan (the original site of the Chai Wan Woman Health Centre (WHC) under the DH) with a total floor area of about 380 square metres. It is equipped with a health promotion and education room, doctor and nurse consultation rooms, and health assessment rooms, etc. The WWS (Hong Kong) will open six days a week with a minimum of eight hours of service per day, and will also operate until 8pm two days a week to provide greater flexibility for users. 

     As for the WWS (Kowloon) located in Lam Tin and the WWS (New Territories) in Tuen Mun, they are expected to commence operation in September. To facilitate public access to the relevant women's health services, the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, the operator of the WWS, will establish two transitional service points in Yau Ma Tei and North Point before the WWS (Kowloon) and WWS (New Territories) commence operation. These two service points will also commence operation next Thursday (June 12). After the commencement of the WWS (Kowloon) and WWS (New Territories), the PHC Commission will assess service needs with the operator and phase out the two WWS service points at an appropriate time. The addresses of the three WWSs and the two WWS service points are listed in Annex 1.

WWS to provide more personalised primary healthcare services for women

     The WHCs and designated Maternal and Child Health Centres under the DH have ceased accepting new appointments for women's health services starting from January 24 this year. Those who have already made appointments or have paid their annual fee and are still within the service period will continue to receive relevant services from the DH. Going forward, the specific health needs of women will be addressed by the WWSs, which will offer more personalised primary healthcare services for women. Healthcare professionals will provide basic women's health services to eligible women, including health assessments, individual consultations, cervical and breast cancer screenings as well as dedicated nurse clinic services. When necessary, cases will be referred to family doctors for follow up. The WWSs will also provide health education and counselling services on topics such as menstrual health, sexual health, menopausal health counselling, breast health, incontinence prevention education and pelvic floor muscle training. In addition to the standard services, the WWSs are expected to introduce value-added services in phases starting from the third quarter of this year, with details to be announced later.

     WWS services will adopt a co-payment model, where eligible individuals will receive a partial subsidy from the Government. They will also be required to pay a designated co-payment fee to encourage citizens to take primary responsibility for managing their own health. The co-payment fees for standard services of WWS are set out in Annex 2.

     Registration for WWS services does not require a doctor's referral. Women aged 64 or below who wish to use the services must first register as members of the District Health Centres/Expresses (DHCs/DHCEs). The DHCs/DHCEs will arrange health risk and basic women's health assessments and also family doctor pairing, and arrange for them to receive services at WWSs as needed. As of June 1, over 680 women have received preliminary assessments through the DHCs/DHCEs, with more than 600 women having been arranged to receive services at the WWSs. For more information, members of the public can visit the WWS website (www.dhc.gov.hk/en/wws.html).

Expansion of preventive screening services in General Out-patient Clinics

     To address the preventive and screening needs of underprivileged groups, the DHCs/DHCEs will arrange for women who are Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients or granted full or partial medical fee waivers by the Hospital Authority (HA) to receive the same preventive care and health promotion services for women at seven selected HA General Out-patient Clinics (see Annex 3).

PHC Commission promulgates Reference Framework for women to promote evidence-based preventive care 

     Apart from establishing the WWSs, the PHC Commission formulated and published the Hong Kong Reference Framework on Life Course Preventive Care for Women in Primary Healthcare in February this year to continuously enhance the quality of primary healthcare services. The Reference Framework provides clear guidelines for primary healthcare service providers, promoting evidence-based preventive care to help women identify and address potential health issues at different life stages as soon as possible, thereby improving their ability to manage their own health.

The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary:
 
     The ceremony for the admission of Ms Catrina Lam Ding-wan, Ms Priscilia Lam Tsz-ying and Mr Timothy Edward David Parker to the rank of Senior Counsel will be held in the Court of Final Appeal on Saturday morning (June 7).
      
     During the ceremony, Chief Justice Andrew Cheung, Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal, will deliver a speech, followed by remarks from the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC; the Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association, Mr José-Antonio Maurellet, SC; and the President of the Law Society of Hong Kong, Mr Roden Tong.
      
     The public can view a live broadcast on the Court of Final Appeal's website (www.hkcfa.hk) at 10am on Saturday.

     â€‹A sick 38-year-old female remand person in custody at Tai Lam Centre for Women died in a public hospital yesterday (June 4).
      
     The remand person in custody suffered from heart disease and mental illness. She required continuous medical care and follow-ups at the institution hospital and public hospitals. On June 3, she was sent to a public hospital for treatment due to physical discomfort. During hospitalisation, her condition deteriorated, and she was certified dead at 11.56pm yesterday.
      
     The case has been reported to the Police. A death inquest will be held by the Coroner's Court.
      
     The person in custody was remanded for the offence of theft in May 2025.

     The Chinese Culture Festival (CCF) 2025, organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), has designated Xi'an as its focal city this year. The Festival will gather six renowned Qinqiang artists and China Theatre Plum Blossom Award (Plum Blossom Award) winners, including Dou Fengqin, Qi Aiyun, Wang Xincang, Qu Qiaozhe, Zhang Tao and Tan Jianxun, in Hong Kong this July. They will lead the emerging talent from the Xi'an Performing Arts Group's Youth Experimental Troupe of Qinqiang Opera to perform Qinqiang classic plays "Returning to Jingzhou" and "Zhou Ren on the Way Home", showcasing Qinqiang's unique "howling" style, while allowing audiences to experience the robust spirit of the people of the northwest and their cultural confidence in celebrating life. This programme is also part of the 13th Chinese Opera Festival (COF). 

     Qinqiang, also known as "luantan" and "bangzi" vocal style, is one of the oldest operatic forms in northwestern China. It first appeared during the western Zhou period, and was popular in the Shaanxi and Gansu regions. The genre was inscribed on the first list of Intangible Cultural Heritage at the National Level. Its artistic features have cast a profound influence on face painting and the "xipi" and "liushui" tunes in Peking opera. Renowned for its broad vocal range and powerful, impassioned delivery, Qinqiang is often hailed as "China's oldest rock 'n' roll" for its directness, exuberance and exquisiteness in expressing emotions. 

     Details of the two performances are as follows:

"Returning to Jingzhou"
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Date and time: July 4 (Friday), 7.30pm

     "Returning to Jingzhou", also named "A Right Royal Match", tells a story from "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", depicting Zhou Yu's plot to reclaim Jingzhou by arranging Liu Bei's river-crossing marriage to Sun Shangxiang. It features the full range of roles in Qinqiang opera, gathering the four pillar roles of sheng (male), dan (female), jing (painted face), and chou (clown). Together with meticulous singing, reciting, acting, and martial arts, as well as the resonant rhythms of "bangzi", the play will showcase the very best of Qinqiang artistry in all aspects. Qi Aiyun, one of the "four famous dan actresses" in Qinqiang, together with Qu Qiaozhe, will portray Sun Shangxiang and her mother Lady Wu respectively. In the scene "Farewell to Mother", both of them will poignantly convey the complex emotions between familial bonds and righteous duty with their seamless vocal interplay. In addition, popular actor Zhang Tao, who portrays Zhou Yu, will demonstrate captivating arias and martial arts skills in the scene "Zhou Yu the Marshal", adding other highlights to the play. 

"Zhou Ren on the Way Home"
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Date and time: July 5 (Saturday), 7.30pm 

     "Zhou Ren on the Way Home" is one of the famous "Eight Great Libretti of Qinqiang". The story is set during the Yan Song domination of the government of the Ming dynasty, where the royals are corrupt; framing the loyal and virtuous, bullying the kind and coveting other's wife. Wang Xincang and Tan Jianxun will alternate in the role of Zhou Ren. In the scenes "Regrets on the Road" and "On His Way Home", Wang will use a piercingly sorrowful singing style, combined with masterly skills such as "headgear shaking" and "hair twirling", depicting Zhou Ren's despair and inner conflict of sacrificing his wife to save a friend. "A Torture Session" and "Weeping at the Tomb" are the climax of the play, where Tan will demonstrate "rolling on the floor and hair flinging" skills to perform the disheartened aria. Dou Fengqin, acclaimed as a "Golden Voice in Gansu Province" and a representative bearer of National Intangible Cultural Heritage of Qinqiang opera, will portray Zhou Ren's wife, Li Lanying, a loyal and righteous character who disguises herself to assassinate the evil-doer, but fails and ultimately sacrifices herself to aid her husband's noble cause. Her uniquely robust yet melodious singing style of the dan role in Qinqiang opera demonstrates the harmonious balance of strength and tenderness of the genre.

     The Xi'an Performing Arts Group's Youth Experimental Troupe of Qinqiang Opera was established in 2022, led by Class One director He Hongxing, with Zhang Tao and renowned director Wang Guoquan as deputy directors. The troupe has specially invited a number of Plum Blossom Award laureates as artistic advisors, dedicated to nurturing young talent and passing on traditional opera arts, and has staged a multitude of classic productions and excerpts, receiving public acclaim. 

     The two performances will be held at the Auditorium of the Ko Shan Theatre New Wing. Lyrics and dialogue are with Chinese and English surtitles. Tickets priced at $190, $290 and $390 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. Group booking discounts and package booking discounts are available for purchasing selected CCF stage programmes, the "Chinese Opera Film Shows" of the COF 2025 and the "Legacy and Vision: Conversations with Chinese Cultural Masters" lecture. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7325 or visit www.ccf.gov.hk/en/programme/xian-performing-arts-groups-youth-experimental-troupe-of-qinqiang-opera/.

     A meet-the-artists session entitled "The Beauty of Qinqiang Opera" (in Putonghua and Cantonese) will be held at 7.30pm on July 3 (Thursday) at AC2, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. The speakers include representative bearer of National Intangible Cultural Heritage of Qinqiang opera Ma Youxian, together with Qi Aiyun, Wang Xincang and Zhang Tao, while Chinese opera researcher Chan Chun-miu will be the moderator. Admission is free and online registration is required (www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/chinese_opera/programs_1839.html#tab_13_0). Limited seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

     The programme will also feature a session under the "Chinese Culture for All: A Special Performance Series" at 2.30pm on July 4 (Friday) at the Auditorium of the Ko Shan Theatre New Wing, with free admission specially for local primary and secondary school students. The troupe will perform selected excerpts from "Returning to Jingzhou" and "Zhou Ren on the Way Home", accompanied by easy-to-follow demonstrations and guided appreciation, allowing students to closely experience Qinqiang opera. Interested schools can call 2268 7325 for details.

     The CCF, presented by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and organised by the Chinese Culture Promotion Office under the LCSD, aims to promote Chinese culture and enhance the public's national identity and cultural confidence. It also aims to attract top-notch artists and arts groups from the Mainland and other parts of the world for exchanges in Chinese arts and culture. The CCF 2025 will be held from June to September. Through different performing arts programmes in various forms and related extension activities, including selected programmes of the COF, "Tan Dun WE-Festival", film screenings, exhibitions, as well as community and school activities and more, the festival provides members of the public and visitors with more opportunities to enjoy distinctive programmes that showcase fine traditional Chinese culture, thereby facilitating patriotic education and contributing to the inheritance, transformation and development of traditional Chinese culture in Hong Kong. For more information about programmes and activities of the CCF 2025, please visit www.ccf.gov.hk.

          

     The Department of Health (DH) said today (June 5) that its telephone hotline (2125 1188), dedicated email (dhhelpdesk_2501@dh.gov.hk) and a WhatsApp account (6170 8006) set up for public enquiries regarding the suspected closure of certain private healthcare facilities will cease operation from tomorrow (June 6). Members of the public may refer to the Frequently Asked Questions prepared by the DH for this incident. Alternatively, they may call the DH's general hotline at 2961 8989 or email to enquiries@dh.gov.hk. For enquiries about the vaccination service for infants and young children from birth to five years of age under the Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme (HKCIP), please call the nearest Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHCs) of the DH (www.fhs.gov.hk/english/centre_det/maternal/maternal.html).

     Since the aforesaid special enquiry channels were established about a month ago until 5pm yesterday (June 4), the DH has received a total of 276 enquiries about the suspected closure incident. Among them, 188 were related to vaccinations (including 77 enquiries related to childhood vaccinations and 111 enquiries about vaccines for other age groups) and 68 were related to laboratory reports. The number of enquiries received through the relevant telephone hotline, email and WhatsApp account has remained at a very low level recently. The DH will cease the operation of the special enquiry channels from tomorrow in response to the change in public demand.

     The Government announced on May 2 the setting up of an inter-departmental dedicated team to follow up on the incident. The team comprises representatives from the Security Bureau, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, the Hong Kong Police Force, the DH and the Consumer Council.
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     After learning that the private health care facilities in question had used the laboratory services of a local private hospital for laboratory services, the DH has taken the initiative to contact the private hospital concerned and offered assistance in delivering 11 laboratory reports to the referring doctor so that the cases could be followed up appropriately. For the sake of prudence, the DH has also reached out to local registered professionals operating medical laboratories and radiological imaging services, inviting them to contact the DH for assistance if they are unable to deliver any laboratory reports to referring doctors from the private healthcare facilities in question.

     The MCHCs of the DH have provided support to over 120 parents of affected infants and young children, including health advice to parents or arranging vaccinations for their children at MCHCs. Depending on the needs of the enquirers, the DH has also provided appropriate health information and vaccination-related professional advice, and advised them on how to receive vaccines not included in the HKCIP according to scientific evidence or vaccines for other age groups.

     The Primary Healthcare Commission (PHC Commission) has engaged with family doctors and healthcare facilities. Currently, there is a stable supply of relevant vaccines in the private sector, and the service providers are ready to provide vaccination services to people in need. To this end, the PHC Commission has reminded family doctors listed in the Primary Care Directory (PCD) to update their practice information, particularly on the provision of vaccination services, to enable citizens in need to identify suitable family doctors. Members of the public can search for the practice information of relevant family doctors by selecting immunisation (including various vaccines for children) under "Services Provision" in the PCD (apps.pcdirectory.gov.hk/Public/EN/AdvancedSearch?ProfID=RMP). They are advised to contact the relevant family doctors in advance to confirm service details, fees and other relevant matters before making vaccination arrangements.