Government welcomes publication of annual report of Process Review Panel for Insurance Authority
The Government today (April 29) welcomed the publication of the 2024 Annual Report of the Process Review Panel for the Insurance Authority (PRP), which covered the PRP's review of selected cases completed or discontinued by the Insurance Authority (IA) in the period between January 1 and December 31, 2023.
A spokesman for the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau said, "The PRP undertook a thorough and comprehensive review of the internal procedures and operational guidelines that guide the IA in carrying out its various regulatory functions. These functions encompass a wide range of critical activities, including the handling of complaints, authorisation of insurers, licensing of intermediaries, conduct of investigations, and undertaking of disciplinary actions. The PRP's observations and recommendations ensure that the IA exercises its regulatory powers in a fair and consistent manner, strengthen public confidence in its regulatory framework and foster a stable environment that supports the sustainable development of Hong Kong's insurance industry. This, in turn, enhances Hong Kong's position as a leading international financial and risk management centre.
"We would like to express sincere gratitude to the PRP Chairman, Mr Eugene Fung, SC, and members of the PRP for their dedication and insight in advising the IA to enhance our regulatory regime," the spokesman added.
The PRP is an independent panel established with the approval of the Chief Executive to review and advise the IA on the adequacy of its internal procedures and operational guidelines governing the actions taken and operational decisions made by the IA and its staff in the performance of regulatory functions.
Latest figures of primary healthcare services provided by Health Bureau to residents affected by Tai Po Wang Fuk Court fire
The Health Bureau (HHB) announced earlier the medical support provided for residents affected by the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. At present, the District Health Centres/District Health Centre Expresses (collectively referred to as DHCs) across all 18 districts in Hong Kong serve as hubs to co-ordinate various primary healthcare services as needed for the affected residents. The HHB announced today (January 15) the latest figures of these services:
DHC hotlines
Under the co-ordination of the Primary Healthcare Commission (PHC Commission), the DHCs across all 18 districts in Hong Kong have set up hotlines since December 1, 2025, (see Annex 1) to provide personalised case management services for affected residents, offering more convenient and comprehensive medical support. The support includes pairing the affected residents with free consultation services provided by private family doctors and Chinese medicine (CM) practitioners, co-ordinating arrangements for follow-up appointments and medication refills at the Hospital Authority (HA)'s Family Medicine Out-patient (FMOP) Services as necessary, and making referrals to necessary healthcare, nursing and medication services, as well as psychological support. The services co-ordinated by DHCs are not subject to district boundaries. For example, the Centres may assist affected residents in transferring HA FMOP follow-up appointments and medication refill service points, from the Tai Po District to another location, thereby sparing residents the need for travelling across districts. As of January 13, the DHCs hotlines across all 18 districts have received 320 enquiries in total.
Free consultations by family doctors and CM practitioners and free denture replacement services
The HHB introduced a free family doctor service scheme, free CM consultation services, and free denture replacement services on December 4, 15, and 23, 2025, respectively to support the primary healthcare needs of the affected residents until February 28 this year. Case managers of the DHCs will arrange for them to receive up to three free consultations by family doctors and CM practitioners respectively based on their individual situations and preferences, covering the provision of medication and related treatments; and at least one free dental consultation and one follow-up appointment (subject to clinical need), covering denture replacement and oral treatment services.
As of January 13, more than 300 private family doctors have participated in the free family doctor service scheme, covering more than 450 service points that include eight private hospitals. So far, 87 affected residents have been arranged to receive free family doctor consultations. As for the free CM consultation services, more than 360 CM practitioners have participated, covering more than 620 service points, and 45 residents have been arranged to receive the services so far. Regarding free denture replacement services, more than 110 private dentists have participated, covering over 150 service points, and 27 residents have been arranged to receive free denture replacement services so far.
HA's healthcare services
All individuals injured in the fire and admitted to public hospitals under the HA will receive full fee waivers for all necessary healthcare services (including drugs and medical devices) throughout the entire process of their treatment and rehabilitation. A total of 79 patients received treatment at various public hospitals due to the fire. As of January 13, 71 of them had already recovered and were discharged, and the remaining eight are in stable condition. Healthcare staff will continue to provide appropriate treatment and care to these patients.
Moreover, all residents of the eight blocks at Wang Fuk Court (including foreign domestic helpers) are eligible for full medical fee waivers until December 31 this year. The waivers cover in-patient services, family medicine and specialist out-patient clinics (SOPCs) services (including psychiatry SOPCs), accident and emergency services, day hospitals, day procedures, community services, and Chinese Medicine Clinics cum Training and Research Centres under the HA. As of January 13, the HA has provided necessary healthcare services to around 1 800 affected residents.
Mental health support
The 18111 - Mental Health Support Hotline immediately deployed additional staff and strengthened training for its call handlers on the day of the fire incident to cope with the emotional distress that the public may experience due to the incident. From the time of the incident to January 13, the hotline has received around 15 000 calls, 730 of which were related to the fire incident. The WhatsApp service has handled over 700 messages, with about 50 of them concerning the fire incident. The HA's 24-hour Mental Health Direct hotline, manned by psychiatric nurses, offers professional advice and support on mental health issues to callers, including provision of risk assessments and referrals to the HA's mental health services as appropriate. As of January 13, the Mental Health Direct hotline has received 95 calls related to the fire incident, with 35 of them coming from affected citizens.
The HHB will continue to provide comprehensive primary healthcare support to affected residents. The HHB also designed the relevant service workflow from the residents' perspective, allowing them to receive convenient and effective medical support simply through the DHCs (see Annex 2).
Source: AI-found images
