Hospital Authority welcomes Government's reappointment of Chairman and appointment of Chief Executive
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The Hospital Authority (HA) today (July 2) welcomes the Government's reappointment of Mr Henry Fan as the Chairman of the HA and the appointment of Dr Libby Lee as the Chief Executive of the HA.
Mr Fan said, "I am very honoured to be reappointed and to continue serving the public together with the 90 000 staff members of the HA. I am also very much looking forward to working with Dr Lee again at the HA to jointly lead the ongoing reforms of the HA. Our future work focus will be on fully implementing the HA's various reform initiatives, particularly the public healthcare fees and charges reform to be launched in January next year. The HA will continue to enhance its services regarding the wellbeing of patients and uphold the patient-centric value, and will continue to promote the sustainable development of public healthcare services."
The appointment of Dr Lee as the Chief Executive of the HA has been endorsed by the HA Board and approved by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, after a global search and thorough deliberation by the Selection Board appointed by the HA Board.
"The HA Board has full confidence in Dr Lee's wealth of experience in both clinical and management fields, and believes that her leadership capabilities and governance talents will continue to lead the HA to attain a higher level of achievement. Dr Lee demonstrates clear vision and aspirations for the HA's future development, and will lead the HA to face future challenges, continue reforms, enhance public hospital services, and move towards sustainable development, with the staunch support of all HA staff members," Mr Fan said.
"With the support of the Health Bureau and the HA Board, all staff members of the HA, Dr Lee, and I will continue to work together to enhance public hospital services and provide quality and sustainable public healthcare services for Hong Kong citizens. We will continue to strengthen our manpower and enhance exchanges with healthcare professionals worldwide, particularly from the Mainland. At the same time, we will continue to upgrade the facilities and service capacity of public hospitals to address the challenges of an ageing society and surging service demand," Mr Fan added.
Dr Lee expressed that she is deeply honoured to be appointed as the Chief Executive of the HA. "I am very grateful for the trust of the Government and the HA Board in appointing me to lead the HA. With the staunch support of all HA staff members, the Health Bureau, and the HA Board, as well as close collaboration with healthcare sector and community partners, I firmly believe that the HA will certainly reach new heights and benefit patients."
The current Chief Executive of the HA, Dr Tony Ko, welcomed the reappointment of Mr Fan and congratulated Dr Lee on her appointment to the new position. He believes that with Dr Lee's extensive management experience at the Health Bureau and the HA, as well as her visionary perspective on public health policy and public healthcare services, she will certainly continue to drive the HA reforms and benefit patients.
Dr Ko will complete his contract and step down on July 31, with Dr Lee taking up her new role immediately on August 1. Mr Fan extends his appreciation to Dr Ko for his years of service to patients in public hospitals, particularly his contributions and outstanding performance to the HA and public healthcare services during his tenure as Chief Executive. He led the HA in navigating various challenges, especially in leading HA staff members in fighting the epidemic, and in fully promoting the HA's sustainable development, talent exchange and reforms after the epidemic, marking important milestones for the HA at different stages. On behalf of all HA staff members, Mr Fan wishes Dr Ko every happiness after his departure.
Mr Fan also congratulated Dr Cecilia Fan on her appointment as the Under Secretary for Health, believing that Dr Fan's extensive experience in public health over the years will certainly elevate Hong Kong's public health policies to new heights and promote more public health services that meet the needs of Hong Kong citizens.
Update on chikungunya fever
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health announced that, as of 5pm today (January 11), no new cases of chikungunya fever (CF) had been recorded.
Latest surveillance data
------------------------------
Hong Kong has recorded a total of 82 confirmed CF cases last year. Among them, 11 were local cases, and the rest were imported cases.
Since the beginning of 2025, and as of December 10, 2025, a total of 502 264 CF cases and 186 CF-related deaths have been reported in over 40 countries/territories. Cases have been reported in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Although the northern hemisphere has entered the winter season, temperatures in subtropical and some temperate regions remain elevated due to climate change, creating favourable conditions for mosquito breeding. In addition, CF outbreaks continue to occur in many countries worldwide. The risk of imported cases persists. Members of the public should check the situation of the destinations before travelling abroad, especially when travelling to Southeast Asian countries.
Government's comprehensive follow-up actions
-----------------------------------------------------
Given that some local cases of CF have visited the Tsing Yi Nature Trails or the surrounding area in November last year, the trails are currently closed until further notice. Relevant government departments continue to conduct large-scale mosquito control and prevention efforts along the trails, and the CHP appeals to the public not to enter the area in order to reduce the risk of contracting CF and to avoid exposure to chemicals or interfering with the mosquito control operations. Since the confirmation on December 10, 2025, of a case involving a person who had visited the Tsing Yi Nature Trails on November 30, 2025, no further local cases have been recorded to date. The CHP continues to urge individuals who have recently hiked along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails to seek medical attention as soon as possible if they develop relevant symptoms and to call the enquiry hotline (Tel: 2125 2373), which operates from 9am to 6pm.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has been continuously conducting intensive fogging operations to eliminate adult mosquitoes along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails and the surrounding area. At suitable locations, large ultra-low volume foggers have been deployed, and a robot dog is being put on trial to enhance operational effectiveness. The FEHD has also set up new mosquito trapping devices, cleared discarded containers and garbage that could cause stagnant water, and applied larvicide oil or larvicides in areas with stagnant water that cannot be removed immediately. The FEHD has been collaborating with the Kwai Tsing District Office, the Lands Department and the Drainage Services Department to strengthen efforts in eliminating potential mosquito breeding sites along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails. Pamphlets have been distributed to hikers in the area, urging citizens to be vigilant against mosquito infestations and take personal protective measures. The FEHD has also held meetings of the interdepartmental task forces on anti-mosquito work across districts to discuss the latest developments regarding the situation and plan accordingly to co-ordinate relevant departments and stakeholders in strengthening mosquito prevention and control measures in areas under their purview.
Continuously strengthening prevention and control
---------------------------------------------------------
The FEHD and relevant departments have comprehensively enhanced the mosquito control operations in Hong Kong since July last year, and this has continued. Among these, the FEHD has conducted vector investigations and targeted mosquito control operations against the imported and local cases. In light of the local case, the FEHD has immediately conducted follow-up actions, including:
carrying out intensive fogging in scrubby areas within a 250-metre radius of the relevant locations to kill adult mosquitoes;
carrying out inspections of the locations, removing stagnant water, applying insecticides and disposing of abandoned water containers every week with a view to preventing mosquito breeding; and
enhancing public education efforts through organising health talks, setting up mobile education stations, and distributing publicity leaflets.
The abovementioned measures will be continued. Furthermore, the Government will further enhance the mosquito control efforts in addition to the existing measures.
Preventive measures to be taken by the public
----------------------------------------------------
Members of the public should use DEET-containing insect repellents or other effective active ingredients properly to prevent mosquito bites, but the following precautions should be taken when using them:
read the label instructions carefully first;
apply right before entering an area with a risk of mosquito bites;
apply on exposed skin and clothing;
use DEET of up to 30 per cent for pregnant women and up to 10 per cent for children (for children who travel to countries or areas where mosquito-borne diseases are endemic or epidemic and where exposure is likely, those aged 2 months or above can use DEET-containing insect repellents with a DEET concentration of up to 30 per cent);
apply sunscreen first, then insect repellent;
reapply only when needed and follow the instructions; and
in addition to DEET, there are other insect repellents available on the market containing different active ingredients, such as IR3535 and picaridin. When using any insect repellent, the public should follow the usage instructions and precautions on the product label.
The FEHD also appeals to members of the public to continue to stay alert and work together to carry out mosquito prevention and control measures early, including inspecting their homes and surroundings to remove potential breeding grounds, changing water in vases and scrubbing their inner surfaces, removing water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week, and properly disposing of containers such as empty cans and lunch boxes. The FEHD also advises members of the public and property management agencies to keep drains free of blockage and level all defective ground surfaces to prevent the accumulation of water. They should also scrub all drains and surface sewers with an alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.
The public should call 1823 in case of mosquito problems, and may visit the following pages for more information: the CF page of theCHPand theTravel Health Service, the latestTravel Health News,tips for using insect repellents, and the CHPFacebook Page,Instagram AccountandYouTube Channel, and also theMosquito Prevention and Control dedicated pageof the FEHD.
Source: AI-found images
