Tag Archives: China

     The Department of Health (DH) today (March 20) announced that it has cancelled the licence of a day procedure centre (DPC), Dr MD Clinic and Ambulatory Centre, in Causeway Bay.
      
     In view of the potential risks to patients arising from the multiple serious breaches of the Code of Practice for Day Procedure Centres, the DH suspended the licence of the DPC concerned earlier this month and simultaneously initiated the procedure for cancellation of its licence. The DH has considered the licensee’s representation. In accordance with the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (Cap. 633), the statutory period of notification lapsed today, and the Office for Regulation of Private Healthcare Facilities of the DH had published the information on its website. With immediate effect, the DPC is not allowed to provide specialised services including surgical and anaesthetic procedures.
      
     Upon receipt of a complaint about the suspected mishandling of medical equipment by the DPC concerned, the DH immediately investigated and conducted unannounced inspections. During the inspections, the DPC was found to have contravened the Code of Practice for Day Procedure Centres under the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance, namely improper handling and management of an anaesthetic drug, failure to properly sterilise medical equipment, and inadequate staff training and supervision. In addition, the DPC was suspected to have filled in false information in the checking and monitoring of records, including those concerning medical equipment.
      
     The DH will continue to closely monitor licensed private healthcare facilities to protect patient safety. read more

     The Health Bureau announced today (March 20) that the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme (CDCC Pilot Scheme) will be expanded to provide blood lipid testing starting from March 28. In addition, starting from April 15, over 20 additional service points will be introduced across the city to provide dedicated nurse clinic and allied health services for eligible District Health Centre/Express (DHC/DHCE) members who have not participated in the CDCC Pilot Scheme.
 
Expansion of CDCC Pilot Scheme screening service scope to blood lipid testing
 
     The Government launched the CDCC Pilot Scheme in November 2023 to subsidise eligible participants through pairing with a family doctor of their choice to undergo diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HT) screening, as well as attending doctor consultation and receiving laboratory services in the private healthcare sector on a co-payment basis, with a view to achieving “early prevention, early identification and early treatment”. Starting from March 28, the scope of screening under the CDCC Pilot Scheme will be expanded to include blood lipid testing in addition to DM and HT screening to achieve full coverage of the “three highs”, with a view to implementing the policy initiative as set out in “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address”, allowing more citizens to comprehensively assess and manage their cardiovascular disease risk factors through the Scheme.
 
     The eligibility criteria for the CDCC Pilot Scheme will remain unchanged (i.e. Hong Kong residents aged 45 or above with no known medical history of DM or HT). The Government subsidies for consultation visits, and the co-payment amount to be paid by the participants will remain at the current level. If participants are diagnosed with hyperlipidaemia, they are entitled to a maximum of four subsidised consultation visits in the first year, and a maximum of two subsidised consultation visits annually from the second year onwards. If they are also diagnosed with prediabetes or suffering from DM or HT, they are entitled to a maximum of four or six subsidised consultation visits per year respectively. The arrangements for subsidised consultation visits will be similar to the current arrangement. Healthcare professionals will also arrange for the participants to receive dedicated nurse clinic and allied health services under the district health network according to their clinical conditions and needs.
 
     The basic-tier drug list of the CDCC Pilot Scheme covers basic drugs for treating chronic diseases (including anti-diabetic drugs, anti-hypertensive drugs and lipid-regulating drugs) as well as episodic illnesses. Participants prescribed with drugs on the list will not be required to pay for such medication. Participants who are confirmed with no sign of DM, HT or hyperlipidaemia upon screening can receive follow-up and assistance in setting health management goals from the DHC/DHCEs, and will be arranged to participate in activities to promote healthy lifestyles according to their health needs to maintain good health.
 
     The Government has announced earlier that the Primary Healthcare Commission will expand the CDCC Pilot Scheme to designated General Out-patient Clinics under the Hospital Authority in three phases, providing preventive screening and healthcare services for the underprivileged group. Relevant services will also cover blood lipid testing from the same date.
 
     In addition, starting from April 15, podiatry services of the dedicated nurse clinic and allied health services under the CDCC Pilot Scheme will be enhanced. Podiatrists will conduct foot assessments for participants with DM and/or HT and provide treatment plans on problems such as foot ulcers, peripheral vascular disease, neuropathy or foot deformities.
 
Expansion of dedicated nurse clinic and allied health services to DHC/DHCE members
 
     Following the provision of dedicated nurse clinic and allied health services for participants in the CDCC Pilot Scheme by the Government since January 20, the DHC/DHCEs will also introduce dedicated nurse clinic and allied health services at over 20 service points across Hong Kong to provide personalised chronic disease management, pain management and rehabilitation services to their members who have not participated in the CDCC Pilot Scheme from April 15.
 
     The dedicated nurse clinics will provide initial assessments on osteoarthritis of knee and back pain, basic self-management and dietary advice and counselling, muscle and joint function assessments, as well as checking of common women’s health issues to members in need. Occupational therapists will provide assessment of capabilities in daily life and personalised functional therapy activities for patients with knee osteoarthritis, back pain and stroke, as well as advising patients and their carers on assistive devices and home environment improvements to reduce fall risks and enhance their self-management and self-care ability in daily life. Chinese medicine practitioners will provide acupuncture and acupressure treatment for patients. Physiotherapists will provide clinical consultations and appropriate intervention treatments including pain relief modality, electrotherapy and manual therapy for complex cases (such as individuals suffering from both overweight and joint pain). Speech therapists will provide assessment and training to patients with difficulties in swallowing, speaking or communication due to stroke, and provide advice on feeding and dietary improvement to the patients suffering from stroke or their carers. Dietitians will design personalised meal plans and provide targeted nutritional guidance to participants. The addresses and service hours of relevant service points will be uploaded to the DHC website (www.dhc.gov.hk/en/healthcare_service_providers.html) on the service effective date.
  
     The co-payment model will be adopted for DHC/DHCE members receiving dedicated nurse clinic and allied health services. Eligible individuals will receive partial subsidies from the Government and pay a designated co-payment fee for services. The co-payment fee for DHC/DHCE members and CDCC Pilot Scheme participants receiving dedicated nurse clinic and allied health services are set out in the Annex.
 
     The CDCC Pilot Scheme has received a positive response since its launch, and over 100 000 participants have joined the programme to date. As at March 12 this year (provisional figures), about 62 700 participants have completed screenings, of which around 24 200 (nearly 40 per cent) have been diagnosed with prediabetes, DM or HT and have entered the treatment phase. The Government will continue to promote the CDCC Pilot Scheme to encourage citizens to prevent and manage chronic diseases proactively, thereby enhancing the overall health of the general public. read more

     Hong Kong Customs arrested the sole director of a wedding rings design company yesterday (March 19) on suspicion of engaging in wrongly accepting payments when selling products, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).

     The company concerned had been constantly delaying the delivery of wedding rings ordered by consumers recently by making up various reasons. The company eventually lost contact with consumers and closed its retail shop earlier this month. As of 8am today, Customs had received a total of 57 complaints against the company concerned. Complainants reported making prepaid orders for wedding rings, but failing to receive the goods or obtain refunds from the company. The total amount involved in the case is approximately $520,000, with the largest of individual cases amounting to around $20,000.

     In view of the sudden business suspension of the company and  its suspected violation of the TDO, Hong Kong Customs promptly established a special task force to follow up on related cases and took enforcement action yesterday. The 41-year-old male sole director of the company was arrested during the operation. He has been released on bail pending further investigation. 
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     Under the TDO, any trader commits an offence if, at the time of acceptance of payment, the trader intends not to supply the product or intends to supply a materially different product, or there are no reasonable grounds for believing that the trader will be able to supply the product within a specified or reasonable period. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment of five years.
      
     Customs reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO and refrain from engaging in unfair trade practices when supplying goods.
      
     Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO 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). read more

     The Government announced today (March 20) the return of the Wealth for Good in Hong Kong Summit (WGHK) on March 26 and its speaker lineup. Hong Kong has consistently maintained its leading position as a top global wealth management centre and a key hub for family offices worldwide. The third edition of the WGHK will showcase the city’s role in empowering global wealth for good, fostering cross-cultural exchanges, and forging partnerships to drive growth, innovation and legacy building for generations to come.
 
     Co-organised by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), the third edition of the WGHK will once again bring influential family office principals from around the world to Hong Kong. Under the theme “Hong Kong of the World, for the World”, the summit will forge new connections and leverage Hong Kong’s distinctive advantages of enjoying strong support of the Mainland and being closely connected to the world to drive innovation, investment and sustainable growth.
 
     Participants from Asia, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa will join Mainland and Hong Kong attendees at the event and exchange insights. Meaningful conversations on how wealth can drive progress, inspire creativity and create lasting impact around the three sub-themes, namely art and culture, philanthropy, and technology and artificial intelligence investments, will be featured. Anchoring the Wealth and Investment Mega Event Week as part of Hong Kong Super March, the WGHK 2025 is also an opportunity for global attendees to experience firsthand the energy, warmth and entrepreneurial spirit that define Hong Kong. 
 
     The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, said, “Building on the success of the previous two summits, this year’s WGHK attracted attendees from an even wider spectrum, in terms of where they come from and the family offices they are representing. World-class speakers and decision-makers of family offices are going to gather here in Hong Kong to explore how the city’s strategic advantages can shape a brighter future and build legacy. They are also going to feel for themselves the unparalleled opportunities that Hong Kong has to offer as a global family office hub for wealth stewardship driving sustainable growth and touching lives far beyond our city through our strong financial and legal infrastructure, global connectivity, and thriving professional and philanthropic ecosystem.”
 
     The Director-General of Investment Promotion at InvestHK, Ms Alpha Lau, said, “Hong Kong is a ‘super-connector’ and a ‘super value-adder’, renowned as an internationally connected financial powerhouse, a thriving business and innovation hub, and a beacon of arts and culture. Amplifying these advantages, the city is home to a dynamic family office ecosystem backed by top-tier professional talent and philanthropic matchmaking services, and supported by the dedicated efforts of our FamilyOfficeHK team. More than 2 700 single family offices choose Hong Kong as their base, leveraging our unique strengths to grow and thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.”
 
     This year’s WGHK will be graced by a distinguished lineup of international speakers as follows:
 

• Mr Luis Alvarado, Head of GAEA, World Economic Forum;
• Mr Horst Bente, Founder of ADLEGACY;
• Mr Robert Buchbauer, Vice Chairman, Swarovski International Holding;
• Dr Adrian Cheng, Chairman of the Board, Hong Kong Academy for Wealth Legacy;
• Mr Steve Davis, Senior Advisor and Director, Gates Foundation;
• Mr Simone Gibertoni, Chief Executive Officer of Clinique La Prairie;
• Mr Gregg Lemkau, Co-Chief Executive Officer, BDT & MSD Partners;
• Mr James Peng, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pony.ai;
• Mr Pandu Patria Sjahrir, Chief Investment Officer, Danantara Indonesia;
• Mr Joe Tsai, Co-founder and Chairman, Alibaba Group;
• Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor of University of Oxford;
• Ms Supaluck Umpujh, Chairwoman of The Mall Group; and
• Ms Yeyi Yun, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of MiniMax

 
     The WGHK is the flagship event of Wealth and Investment Mega Event Week, a series of high-profile gatherings that highlight Hong Kong’s strength as a financial powerhouse. The week also includes the Milken Institute Global Investors’ Symposium on March 24, the HSBC Global Investment Summit from March 25 to 27, the inaugural Bloomberg Family Office Summit and a number of sustainability-themed events hosted by the World Economic Forum on March 27. Bringing together global family offices, investors, and entrepreneurs, the week seeks to inspire new opportunities and energise the future of wealth management and global investment. read more

     The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, will depart for Beijing in the late afternoon today (March 20). During his visit to Beijing, he will attend the China Development Forum and give a speech at one of the Forum’s thematic sessions. He will also call on relevant central ministries and institutions to discuss strengthening co-operation, and will tour enterprises. 

     The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, and the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Mr Eddie Yue, will join parts of the visit.

     Mr Chan will return to Hong Kong in the morning on March 24. During his absence, the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong, will act as the Financial Secretary. The Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan, will be the Acting Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury during Mr Hui’s absence. read more