Tag Archives: China

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (BTS) today (January 28) urgently appealed to members of the public to donate blood as blood inventories have been depleted to very low levels, with only about three days’ stock remaining. The BTS urges all sectors of the community to support blood donations with immediate action to maintain a stable blood supply for clinical transfusion to patients.

     Amid the pressure of the epidemic and cold weather, as well as cancellations of mobile blood donation services at corporate settings and schools, the number of blood collections has been consistently low since the beginning of January. Only around 300 to 400 units of blood are collected on average per day, which is not sufficient to meet the daily blood demand from local hospitals. Public hospitals, in the midst of the winter service surge, require large amounts of blood products for clinical transfusions. A sufficient blood supply is crucial for accident and emergency departments, treating critical illnesses such as emergency operations and organ transplants, as well as to meet the blood demand from thalassaemia and blood cancer patients. 
 
     Blood inventories must be duly replenished to tackle the low blood supply during the current winter surge and serve patients in need throughout the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to Blood Donor Centres, the BTS has also received support from various organisations to provide venues for mobile blood donation services (see Annex 1 and 2). For details:
www5.ha.org.hk/rcbts/mobile-schedule?lang=en.   
 
     The BTS follows stringent measures to safeguard blood safety and infection control. To prevent crowds from gathering and long waiting times at the donor centres, donors are advised to make appointments by calling the BTS donor centres or via the “HK Blood” mobile app. Download the “HK Blood” mobile app to locate the nearest donor centres across the city and make a blood donation appointment: www5.ha.org.hk/rcbts/hkblood-intro?lang=en.
 
     As a token of thanks, from today to February 11, every blood donor who donates successfully at donor centres or the blood donation vehicle will receive a Red Packet Pouch set, including a pouch and a pack of 10 red packets with the theme of blood types. A souvenir is available on a first-come, first-served basis, while stocks last.

  

     Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident in Yuen Long this afternoon (January 28) in which a 76-year-old man died.      At about 12.45pm, a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driven by a 65-year… read more

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, chaired the ninth meeting of the Commission on Children held online today (January 28).

     At the meeting, the Education Bureau briefed the Commission on the enhancement measures to support both students and teachers in establishing an inclusive education environment in kindergartens as well as primary, secondary and special schools to prepare non-Chinese speaking (NCS) students for further studies and work, with a view to integrating them into the local community. Members noted that support for NCS parents had also been enhanced to deepen their understanding of the need to expose their children to the Chinese language and the multiple pathways available to their children.

     In addition, members took note of the Government’s arrangements on the suspension of face-to-face classes in the current school year as well as the related health protection and support measures amid the COVID-19 epidemic. Members had an extensive discussion and expressed views on a range of issues, including exploring alternative modes of teaching and learning as well as necessary support for students and parents.

     The Commission noted the work progress of its working groups. Members noted that the first public engagement session this year on supporting children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) had been conducted online last Saturday (January 23). Some 40 representatives of parents and carers of children with AD/HD or relevant symptoms shared their views and experiences on issues such as children’s development and learning needs, support services at different stages and community participation. The Commission will hold similar sessions of different themes every quarter to communicate with stakeholders related to the development and advancement of children and listen to their views. The next session on the subject of child abuse will tentatively be conducted in April. Members also noted that the public engagement exercise of the consultancy study for developing a central databank on children would commence later this month and last till April.

     The Commission approved 28 applications from child care groups, non-governmental organisations and schools seeking support of about $9.3 million from the Funding Scheme for Children’s Well-being and Development. In view of the ongoing epidemic, some applications sought to produce play kits or multimedia materials for parents and children to use at home, while contingency plans are in place in some other applications to cope with the evolving epidemic situation. read more

     To align with the announcement by the Government to resume some basic public services, the Government Records Service (GRS) announced today (January 28) that starting from February 1, the Search Room of the Public Records Office (PRO) will open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9am to 5.45pm until further notice. The Search Room will continue to provide services for members of the public who have made reservations for holdings through the online catalogue and the quota will remain at seven users per day, which will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Services will be limited to:
 
1. Loan and circulation service for reserved holdings; and
 
2. Self-service reproduction of holdings.
 
     The above services will continue to be suspended for those who have not made an online reservation for holdings. Members of the public are required to wear masks at all times when they are inside the Hong Kong Public Records Building, and follow the infection control measures, including temperature checks upon entering the building and applying hand sanitiser.
 
     While the Exhibition Hall in the Hong Kong Public Records Building will continue to be closed and on-site visits and public education programmes will remain suspended until further notice, members of the public can visit the GRS website to know more about the PRO’s holdings and services, appreciate the thematic exhibitions and also join the online group visits. The online group visits are free of charge. For details, please visit www.grs.gov.hk/pdf/Group_visit_en.pdf.
 
     For the latest updates, please visit the GRS website (www.grs.gov.hk) or the PRO Facebook page (www.facebook.com/grs.publicrecordsoffice). For enquiries, please email proinfo@grs.gov.hk. read more

     The Department of Health (DH) today (January 28) appealed to the public not to buy or consume a product named Herbulgari as it was found to contain undeclared controlled drug ingredients.

     Acting upon intelligence, samples of the above product were purchased earlier via an Internet website for analysis. The test results from the Government Laboratory revealed that the samples contained dexamethasone and piroxicam, which are Part 1 poisons under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap 138).

     A joint operation with the Police was conducted last night (January 27). During the operation, a 49-year-old man was arrested by the Police for suspected illegal sale of Part 1 poisons and an unregistered pharmaceutical product. The DH’s investigation is continuing.

     Dexamethasone is a steroid drug used for treating inflammation. Its side effects include moon face, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, muscle atrophy, adrenal insufficiency and osteoporosis. Piroxicam is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used for pain relief in musculoskeletal conditions, and its side effects include gastrointestinal discomfort, gastrointestinal disorders, nausea and skin reactions. Dexamethasone and piroxicam are prescription medicines which should only be used under the advice of a medical doctor and can only be supplied at pharmacies under the supervision of a registered pharmacist upon a doctor’s prescription.

     According to the Ordinance, all pharmaceutical products must be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong before they can be legally sold in the market. Illegal sale or possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products or Part 1 poisons are criminal offences. The maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $100,000 and two years’ imprisonment.

     The DH spokesman strongly urged members of the public not to buy products of unknown or doubtful composition, or to consume products from unknown sources. Members of the public who have purchased the above product should stop consuming it immediately. They should consult healthcare professionals for advice if feeling unwell after consumption.

     The public may submit the above product to the Drug Office of the DH at Room 1801, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, during office hours for disposal.