Remarks by S for Health at media session
Following are the remarks made by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, and the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Cecilia Fan, at a media session after attending a radio programme this morning (July 19):
Reporter: Professor Lo, the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme was rolled out two years ago. Could you maybe give us the latest figures on the number of participating patients and doctors respectively? And what do you make of the figures so far? And could you also maybe give us an update on the number of staff members in public hospitals, and how effective the Government as well as the HA's plan in recruiting doctors trained outside Hong Kong, as well as retaining local talents?
Secretary for Health: Our original plan for this chronic disease co-care programme is to recruit 200 000 citizens who do not have any history of hypertension or diabetes for screening. I think right now we are exceeding the target. The programme has started for about 20 months, but we have already recruited 140 000 people with 80 000 having completed all the screening, and 32 000 were actually found to have high blood sugar or hypertension. So the positive rate on this screening programme is almost 40 per cent. This is really a little bit alarming for us, because this is pretty high, especially considering the fact that after preliminary analysis, we found that the male participation rate is quite low comparing to the female participation rate. So we are actually anticipating that men may have more of these hypertension or hyperlipidaemia or diabetes. So we are trying to encourage the men to come out to join this programme more. We have different measures. And if we have more male people coming out to join this screening programme, we may expect even higher positive rate in this.
Looking at the whole programme, I think it is really encouraging that we have this response. We have right now 640 doctors joining and they have close to 900 service points for our participants to get the service. Of course, there are rooms for improvement. We will be conducting interim analysis for this and we will be making measures and considering reviewing the current programme with the intent to improve it, to encourage more doctors participating as well as our people participating. But right now I think this is very encouraging. We are also asking the university to make a study about the cost effectiveness of this programme, and we are anticipating that, and in fact the preliminary data actually indicated that this kind of programme screening chronic diseases before complications will actually be able to save a lot for our future healthcare system.
Reporter: And the number of staff members?
Secretary for Health: For manpower, I think we are making good progress by various measures, multi-prone measures, including retention of our own talent by different measures, hoping that we have a reduction in the wastage rate. We have also been recruiting non-locally trained doctors, nurses, and we have very positive response. For doctors, for example, we have over 230 doctors coming for permanent job, and we have more than 70 coming for short-term exchange. So over 300 non-locally trained doctors have joined the Hospital Authority, and there are others joining the universities as well. So these are very encouraging. We are also increasing our own training capacity by putting more resources into our two medical schools, and also considering the proposal for a third medical school in Hong Kong. So all these measures will help to improve not just the manpower for service in Hong Kong but hopefully we will be able to have more talents to take up all the tasks that we have put forth especially in developing Hong Kong into an international medical and health innovation hub.
Reporter: Dr Fan, how would your experience particularly in the family medicine field as well as your experience in the Department of Health help with your new post as the Under Secretary for Health?
Under Secretary for Health: When I took up this post in the Health Bureau, I think I would try to contribute to all health policies in all aspects. But having said that, because my previous experience is more focused on family medicine and public health, so I think I definitely can contribute more to the primary healthcare policies, like just now we have mentioned, the District Health Centres, chronic disease co-care programmes, as well as the life-course approach for the citizens. So I think actually all aspects will contribute to the whole healthcare enhancement.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Source: AI-found images
CFS to follow up certain batches of powdered infant and young children formula with possible presence of Cereulide produced by Bacillus cereus
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (January 10) said that, it took initiative to meet with Nestlé Hong Kong again today, and confirmed the company's today announcement of an additional batch of powdered infant and young children formula suspected to have possibly used the raw material concerned. Nestlé Hong Kong has voluntarily stopped sales, removed from shelves the affected products and has initiated a precautionary recall. The CFS has collected samples of powdered infant and young children formula from the market for Bacillus cereus testing, the test results so far were satisfactory. The Environmental and Ecology Bureau is also closely monitoring the supply situation of other formula milk powder and maintaining communication with other major suppliers. It is noted that there is sufficient formula milk powder to meet the demand.
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), Photo source: reference image
The spokesman said, the CFS has been actively following up on Nestlé company's voluntary and precautionary recalls of certain batches of its powdered infant and young children formula in certain areas in Europe due to possible presence of Cereulide produced by Bacillus cereus in the individual raw material. According to the latest information from Nestlé Hong Kong today, an additional batch of its powdered infant and young children formula imported into Hong Kong might have used the raw material concerned. The CFS had earlier enhanced surveillance in the market and collected a sample from the above batch for testing of Bacillus cereus. The test result of the sample was satisfactory. Nevertheless, as a precautionary measure, Nestlé Hong Kong has voluntarily stopped sales, removed from shelves the affected products and has initiated a precautionary recall.
Product details are as follows:
Product name (Net weight): NAN PRO 1 2 HMO (800g)
Batch number: 51670742F2
Best-before date: June 16, 2027
Place of Origin: Germany
"The CFS met Nestlé Hong Kong again today, urging them to properly handle the product recall issue and respond to public enquiries, in order to safeguard consumers' legitimate rights and interests. In addition, the CFS and Nestlé Hong Kong have jointly followed up, six suspected affected batches of infant and young children formula products that had not entered the market were marked and sealed. An additional 15 batches are currently en route to Hong Kong and will also be marked and sealed upon arrival. The CFS will continue to closely monitor the recall matters and remain fully committed to ensuring food safety, " the spokesman said.
Nestlé Hong Kong has initiated a recall of the affected batches of the products concerned. For enquiries about the recall, members of the public may contact the company through the following channels:
Consumer services hotline: 2599 8874 / 2797 6031/ 2179 8136 (Monday to Sunday, 9am to 9pm)
Email: consumerservices@hk.nestle.com
WhatsApp: 5283 4139 (NESTLÉ® NAN®) / 2599 8871 (Wyeth® Nutrition)
Online form: forms.office.com/e/BhqMhWfsUG?origin=lprLink
Consumers may choose to bring along the products (brand new or opened) for refund at place of purchase, or at exclusive service counters of Nestlé Nutrition Services from January 13 (Tuesday) onwards, to settle the recall and refund of the batches of the products concerned. Details of the exclusive service counters are as follows:
Kowloon Services Counter
Address: G/F, Park Hovan Commercial Building, 18 Hillwood Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon (MTR Jordon Station Exit D)
Contact number: 3996 8196
Office hour: Monday to Saturday, 11am to 7.30pm; Sunday, 1pm to 5.30pm (except public holidays)
Hong Kong Services Counter
Address: 1/F, Ka Nin Wah Commercial Building, 423-425 Hennessy Road, Hong Kong (MTR Causeway Bay Station Exit B)
Contact number: 3996 8197
Office hour: Monday to Saturday, 11am to 7.30pm (except Sundays and public holidays)
The CFS, through its Food Incident Surveillance System, noted earlier that certain batches of Nestlé powdered infant formula were being voluntarily recalled in Europe due to possible contamination with Bacillus cereus. Upon learning of the incident, the CFS has immediately initiated follow up actions, published food incident posts to inform the public and the trade about the issue, and has been actively following up on the incident and enhanced surveillance.
Over the past three days (as of 4pm on January 9), the FEHD received a total of 18 food complaints and enquiries suspected to be related to the infant and young children formula products, including one anonymous complaint without contact information. The CFS and the Environmental Hygiene Branch have promptly followed up on all cases, including contacting the parties concerned to obtain details and collecting samples for testing. In addition, the CFS has referred the cases to the health department for follow-up. At present, no food poisoning cases related to the formula have been recorded.
Bacillus cereus is commonly found in the environment. Unhygienic conditions in food processing and storage may give rise to its growth. Cereulide is a heat-stable toxin produced in food by some strains of Bacillus cereus. Consuming food contaminated with excessive Bacillus cereus or its heat-stable toxins may cause gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting and diarrhoea.
The spokesman urged members of the public not to let infants and young children consume the affected batches of the products, and to seek medical treatment for infants or young children who felt unwell after taking the products concerned. The trade should also stop using or selling the affected batches of the products immediately.
"The CFS continues to closely monitor the developments of the situation, follow up and take appropriate action," the spokesman said.
The infant formula of Nestlé, Photo source: online image
