Tag Archives: China

     To mark the 30th anniversaries of the Hong Kong Science Museum and the French Science Festival, the newly established Science Promotion Unit (SPU) of the Hong Kong Science Museum and the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau have together organised the French Science Festival: [Brain]storm. The festival will present an array of programmes featuring feelings, perception and dreams from tomorrow (November 5) to November 22 to showcase the remarkable achievements of France in neurosciences.
 
     The highlight programme, the “Science Machina” exhibition, will be held at the Outpost, Salisbury Garden, Tsim Sha Tsui. French writer Felix Elvis was invited to work with 12 French comic artists to create a series of comics inspired by 12 scientific machines used or partly developed by the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission or the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research.
 
     During the three consecutive weekends of the exhibition period, the “I Will Sleep When I’m Dead” virtual reality (VR) experience will be presented at the exhibition venue. The VR experience is produced by the French artist Jeanne Susplugas, in collaboration with the Institut Français, to materialise the thinking process of the brain with drawings. Visitors can dive into the brain and navigate by sight amongst neurons and synapses.
 
     Two more programmes will be held at the Hong Kong Science Museum. A French surrealistic romantic fantasy film, “Mood Indigo”, will be screened tomorrow and a post-screening discussion will follow. Scholars from France and Hong Kong have been invited to decrypt the mechanisms of how emotions are adapted to reality from a neurobiological perspective. For young children, the workshop “Brain Discovery” will be held on November 6 to help participants to learn about the regions of the brain and their respective functions through entertaining scientific experiments.
 
     For programme details and enrolment methods of the French Science Festival: [Brain]storm, please visit the website at hk.science.museum/en_US/web/scm/pp/na/fsf.html, or call 2732 3232 for enquiries.
 
     The Hong Kong Science Museum established the SPU to create and present programmes that feature curiosity, creativity, playfulness and collaboration to enhance the promotion of popular science and encourage the public to explore the incredible world of science in their daily lives.
 
     All persons will be required to use the “LeaveHomeSafe” mobile application to scan the venue QR code before they are allowed to enter offices and venues under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) except for exempted persons who are aged below 12 or aged 65 or above and those with disabilities that render use of the app difficult. Exemptions will also be granted to individual persons depending on the actual circumstances. All exempted persons are required to complete a record form to register their personal particulars and the date and time of their visit. As it will take time to verify personal particulars of exempted persons under the new arrangement, their waiting time for using public services or entering the relevant venues may be lengthened. The LCSD suggests that members of the public arrive early, and appeals for their understanding. The department also encourages the exempted persons to use the app as far as possible to save time.

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     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (November 4) investigating a case of Legionnaires’ disease (LD) in Shatin Hospital (SH), 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 88 with underlying illness, developed shortness of breath with wheezing since early October. He attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Prince of Wales Hospital on October 1 and was admitted on the same day. The clinical diagnosis was exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure, and he was later transferred to SH on October 8 for convalescent management when his clinical condition stabilised.

     His urine sample tested positive for Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 antigen. Initial enquiries revealed that the patient had no travel history in the incubation period.

     “Epidemiological investigations with SH are ongoing to identify potential sources of infection, high-risk exposure and clusters, if any. Relevant water samples and environmental swabs will be collected from potential sources for laboratory testing,” a spokesman for the CHP said.

     Tracing of contacts including staff and in-patients in the relevant ward is ongoing and those identified will be put under medical surveillance. The CHP has provided health advice against LD to staff and in-patients, including those with weakened immunity who should use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing. Investigation is ongoing.

     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 which support breathing. People may become infected when they breathe in contaminated droplets (aerosols) and mist generated by artificial water systems, or when handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes.

     Immunocompromised persons should:
 

• Use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing;
• Avoid using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices. A shower may also generate small aerosols; and
• 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 should observe the health advice 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 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 water (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.

     â€‹The public may visit 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

     A spokesman for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government said today (November 4) that the HKSAR Government will continue to strengthen anti-epidemic measures with the target of "zero infection" in ord… read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Office of The Ombudsman:

     At the Presentation Ceremony of The Ombudsman’s Awards today (November 4), The Ombudsman, Ms Winnie Chiu, encouraged government departments and public organisations to be agile and flexible in changing circumstances and learn from experience so that they could keep an open mind and deliver quality services to the public.

     Ms Chiu said, “During the pandemic, government departments and public organisations have made huge efforts in adapting to the new normal. They have continued to make adjustments and improvements as new situations emerged, and put more efforts into communicating with the public. In fact, in an ever-changing environment, there is no way for even the best public administration system to stay in a rut. Rather, public service providers need to be agile and flexible in light of the changing circumstances and the lessons learned on the way. Only by doing so can they keep an open mind and deliver quality services to the public.”

     The Grand Award this year went to the Water Supplies Department (WSD). Routine meter-reading was suspended during the pandemic and the WSD needed to estimate meter readings based on the past water consumption of account holders.  Some members of the public considered their water bills too high and complained to the Office of The Ombudsman. The WSD not only handled the complaints according to its established procedures, but also took the initiative to make special arrangements. It combined billing periods, conducted special meter readings before calculating water charges and proactively explained its actions to the public. These efforts reflected its commitment to enhancing the quality of public administration.

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and the Housing Department (HD) were the other two winning organisations. The EPD was earnest and proactive in responding to the Office of The Ombudsman’s inquiries by providing comprehensive, clear and detailed information, explaining relevant legislation and procedures, and furnishing the Office with data and records. It often acted quickly on complaints. Its officers conducted multiple inspections at different time periods to understand the actual situation in order to solve the problems and address the complainants’ concerns as soon as possible.

     The HD adopted a prudent yet people-first approach in handling complaints.  In response to the Office’s inquiries, the HD always provided lucid and detailed explanations on the course of events and justifications for its actions, as well as information about its procedures and relevant records to help the Office’s investigators fully understand the case. In cases involving the elderly and others in need of help, the HD would go the extra mile to provide assistance pertinent to their needs. Moreover, it was ready to resolve simple cases by way of mediation for prompt solutions to problems.

     The Buildings Department (BD) was presented the Award on Mediation for a public organisation this year. In 2020/21, the BD handled 28 complaint cases, or 16 per cent of all the Office’s mediation cases in the year, through its mediation service. In the course of mediation, it explained to complainants in clear and plain terms its enforcement policies, procedures and even technicalities in respect of in-situ inspection techniques so that the complainants could have a better grasp of the facts. With misunderstandings eliminated, the focus could then shift from the disputes to solutions.

     At the presentation ceremony, Ms Chiu commended the contributions made by the public officers who won the individual awards. She said, “Government departments and public organisations that deliver an efficient and quality performance are invariably backed by a dedicated and diligent staff team. This year, 64 public officers are lauded for their professional and excellent services, and for their courage in accepting responsibilities. They have earned the recognition and commendation of the general public, the department/public organisation concerned and my Office alike.”

     A full list of individual awards recipients this year and the experiences and thoughts of some of them about receiving the Awards are in Appendices (I) and (II) respectively.

     The Ombudsman’s Awards Scheme was introduced in 1997. In 1999, the Scheme was extended to honour individual public officers. In 2018, an additional Award on Mediation for a public organisation was introduced.

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     The Social Welfare Department (SWD) today (November 4) held an event via live broadcast to celebrate the first anniversary of the Opportunities for the Elderly Project (OEP) Day. Three organisations were commended for their outstanding performance and active participation in OEP at the event.
 
     The first Thursday of November has been chosen as the OEP Day by the SWD since 2020. As some of the OEP projects (2020-2021) have been postponed to 2021-2022 owing to the pandemic situation, there is no OEP Award Presentation Ceremony this year. Instead, an event celebrating the first anniversary of the OEP Day was held to have fun with elderly persons and review the milestones of the OEP development over the past 23 years. Three elderly also shared their positive changes after participating in the OEP in the event.
 
     The event went in a physical way and was broadcast simultaneously via the OEP’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. The SWD invited some 110 OEP participating organisations in various districts to host small scale celebration parties for about 4 000 elderly persons in their centres where they watched the live broadcast together. The Honorary OEP Ambassador, Anderson Junior, continued to serve as the master of ceremonies this year. He interacted with the elderly throughout the live broadcast.
 
     Giving a pre-recorded speech, the Director of Social Welfare, Mr Gordon Leung, encouraged the elderly to stay active to lead a fruitful life. He hailed the remarkable achievements of the OEP in which more than 3.7 million elderly people have benefited from about 6 300 subsidised district programmes since the OEP was launched 23 years ago.
 
     Delivering a pre-recorded message, the Chairman of the Elderly Commission, Dr Lam Ching-choi, recognised new elements, such as intergenerational harmony, neighbourhood support and information technology, have been added continuously to the OEP over the past decades to move with the times. The Chairman of the OEP Advisory Committee, Professor Diana Lee, said that she has learnt a lot of novel things from versatile elderly people and doing so has made her feel young. 

     The SWD presented three awards to the elderly service organisations in today’s event to commend their continuous support to OEP. The Consecutive Participation Award was presented to Fong Chung Social Service Centre, which has participated in the OEP every year since the OEP was launched. The Active Participation Award went to Christian Family Service Centre – Shun On District Elderly Community Centre, which organised 28 OEP projects in the past years, ranking first among the participating organisations. The Outstanding Performance Award was presented to Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Wilson TS Wang District Elderly Community Centre, which has won four Hong Kong Best OEP Awards in the past decades. The elderly representatives of the awardees received the awards and shared their joy and happiness on the stage of the event.
 
     Through subsidising social service organisations, district organisations and educational institutes to carry out a wide range of activities, the OEP aims at providing various opportunities for elderly people to unleash their potential to contribute to the society and cultivate a sense of self-worthiness.
 
     For details of the OEP and an archived recording of today’s event, please visit the OEP Facebook page (www.facebook.com/OpportunitiesForTheElderlyProject).

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