North District Family Medicine Centre Opens, Services Rebranded to Enhance Primary Healthcare for Underprivileged Groups

Hospital Authority's General Out-patient Clinic and Family Medicine Specialist Clinic services unified under name of "Family Medicine Out-patient Services"

The opening ceremony of the North District Family Medicine Integrated Centre (NDFMIC) was held today (October 10). It was also announced that the Hospital Authority (HA)'s General Out-patient Clinic (GOPC) and Family Medicine Specialist Clinic (FMSC) services will be unified under the name of "Family Medicine Out-patient Services" with effect from tomorrow (October 11). The HA's GOPCs and Community Health Centres (CHCs) will also be named as Family Medicine Clinics (FMCs) and Family Medicine Integrated Centres (FMICs) respectively on the same day. The renaming aims to implement the recommendations set out in the Primary Healthcare Blueprint to co-ordinate the HA's repositioning of GOPC services to focus on serving underprivileged groups, and to highlight the development direction of primary healthcare services, which is providing people-oriented services based on Family Medicine principles with a focus on prevention. The information of the HA's 74 FMCs and FMICs is set out at Annex 1.

The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, said, "The HA's Family Medicine team will focus on caring for the underprivileged groups and become their family doctors, providing them with comprehensive primary healthcare services through the Family Medicine service model. In addition to treating episodic illnesses with relatively mild symptoms, the team will also focus on providing services including personalised health screenings, chronic disease prevention and management, vaccinations, and health education."

In addition, the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Cecilia Fan, who officiated at the opening ceremony today also announced that the Primary Healthcare Commission (PHC Commission) has launched a newly designed logo (see Annex 2). The new logo will be displayed at District Health Centres (DHCs)/DHC Expresses under the PHC Commission, as well as the HA's FMCs and FMICs co-ordinated by the PHC Commission, marking a new milestone for Hong Kong's primary healthcare services.

In developing the strategy to focus on caring for the underprivileged group through a Family Medicine service model, the PHC Commission has been expanding the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme to designated HA's FMCs and FMICs in phases since end-March this year, providing underprivileged groups with hypertension, high blood glucose and hyperlipidaemia screenings, as well as chronic disease management services. Moreover, the HA has incorporated women's health services into designated FMCs and FMICs, providing comprehensive preventive care and health promotion services to eligible underprivileged women. The NDFMIC that officially opened today is one of the HA's service locations providing women's health services in the initial phase.

The Chairman of the HA, Mr Henry Fan, also officiated at the opening ceremony today. He said the NDFMIC will develop a comprehensive district health network for residents in the North District based on a community-based principle. The Centre will provide Family Medicine out-patient consultations, multidisciplinary care and allied health services, patient education and other supporting services, offering a comprehensive range of primary healthcare services for residents in the North District. The NDFMIC is located at the North District Community Health Centre Building, 3 Wai Wo Street, Sheung Shui, which was the original North District Community Health Centre.

The HA reminds patients that the original services of all its GOPCs and CHCs will remain unaffected after the renaming. Chronic disease follow-up patients should continue to attend their scheduled appointments at their original clinics with their original follow-up appointment documents, while patients with episodic diseases may continue to book an appointment through the "HA Go" mobile application or the telephone appointment system.

The HA is well prepared for the renaming of facilities and will gradually change the names and logos of the relevant facilities, as well as update the information on the websites. Notices will also be displayed at prominent locations of the clinics to inform service users of the relevant arrangements. In addition, the HA has already informed respective District Councils, relevant government departments and organisations about the renaming of facilities, and will continue to maintain close liaison with different stakeholders, with a view to ensuring members of the public can receive relevant information clearly.

Source: AI-found images

Hospital Authority's General Out-patient Clinic and Family Medicine Specialist Clinic services unified under name of "Family Medicine Out-patient Services" Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hospital Authority's General Out-patient Clinic and Family Medicine Specialist Clinic services unified under name of "Family Medicine Out-patient Services" Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hospital Authority's General Out-patient Clinic and Family Medicine Specialist Clinic services unified under name of "Family Medicine Out-patient Services" Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hospital Authority's General Out-patient Clinic and Family Medicine Specialist Clinic services unified under name of "Family Medicine Out-patient Services" Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hospital Authority's General Out-patient Clinic and Family Medicine Specialist Clinic services unified under name of "Family Medicine Out-patient Services" Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hospital Authority's General Out-patient Clinic and Family Medicine Specialist Clinic services unified under name of "Family Medicine Out-patient Services" Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Source: AI-found images

Singapore ETO holds Chinese New Year dinner in Vietnam to promote closer relationship

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Singapore (Singapore ETO) hosted a Chinese New Year dinner in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam, yesterday (March 14) to celebrate the new year with Vietnamese partners and counterparts and to promote Hong Kong.

Jointly organised with the Hong Kong Business Association Vietnam (HKBAV) and supported by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the dinner welcomed over 100 guests, including the Consul-General of the People's Republic of China in HCMC, Mr Tang Li; the Chairman of the HKBAV, Mr Michael Chiu; the Director of Indochina of the HKTDC, Ms Tina Phan; and representatives from government and business sectors, chambers of commerce, and Hong Kong communities in Vietnam. During the dinner, cultural performances were presented, including lion dance performances and live renditions of Chinese and Vietnamese music by a band and performers.

Speaking at the dinner, the Director of the Singapore ETO, Ms Elsa Hung, recapped the multi-front work and achievements of Hong Kong and Vietnam collaborative efforts. Last December, the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met with the visiting Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam Mr Ho Duc Phoc in Hong Kong to exchange views on deepening co-operation between the two places. In the same month, the Commissioner for Belt and Road, Mr Nicholas Ho, led a delegation to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to explore business opportunities.

Ms Hung highlighted the growing economic and trade ties between Hong Kong and Vietnam. In 2025, Vietnam became Hong Kong's third-largest merchandise trading partner, with a total trade volume increasing by an average of 25 per cent annually since 2021. Among the 11 ASEAN member states, Vietnam has risen to become Hong Kong's largest trading partner in terms of merchandise trade. In addition, exchanges between people of the two places have intensified. For instance, in terms of tourism, the number of Vietnamese visitors to Hong Kong increased by 35 per cent last year compared with 2024.

Ms Hung concluded that Hong Kong will continue to leverage its unique advantages under the "one country, two systems" framework to serve as a "super connector" and "super value-adder" linking the Chinese Mainland with the rest of the world. The Singapore ETO will align with and support Hong Kong’s strategic directions, such as promoting the one-stop Economic and Trade Express (ETE) platform, through the collective efforts of the global network of ETOs, Invest Hong Kong, and the HKTDC, to assist enterprises in going global while attracting more enterprises to invest and establish operations in Hong Kong.

The Singapore ETO held two Chinese New Year dinners - one in Singapore on February 25 and another in Manila, the Philippines, on February 27 - to further strengthen ties and exchanges with local communities.

Singapore ETO holds Chinese New Year dinner in Vietnam to promote closer relationship Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Singapore ETO holds Chinese New Year dinner in Vietnam to promote closer relationship Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Singapore ETO holds Chinese New Year dinner in Vietnam to promote closer relationship Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Singapore ETO holds Chinese New Year dinner in Vietnam to promote closer relationship Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases