New Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute Opens, Enhancing Quality and Development of Chinese Medicine in Hong Kong.

DH's Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute opens its permanent premises, offering free guided tours of Chinese Medicines Herbarium and medicinal plant garden starting tomorrow

​The permanent premises of the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute (GCMTI) under the Department of Health (DH) will commence phased operations tomorrow (December 11). Equipped with advanced technology and equipment, the new premises will enhance the ability to develop Chinese medicines (CM) testing methods and standard development capabilities, supporting the comprehensive and high-quality development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong. The Chinese Medicines Herbarium, which opens in the first phase, showcases approximately 3 500 CM specimens, including a number of precious specimens gifted to Hong Kong by the national authorities. Together with the outdoor medicinal plant garden, the Shennong Herbal Garden, these facilities will be available for group reservations for free guided tours starting tomorrow.

The Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, said, "Established in 2017, the GCMTI under the DH is dedicated to establishing internationally recognised reference standards for CM and their testing methods. Through technology transfer, the GCMTI shares its achievements to assist the industry in adopting advanced technologies to enhance CM product quality and strengthen quality control in production. The opening of the permanent premises will allow for more efficient use of resources. This will further promote the enhancement of CM quality in Hong Kong, strengthen local and international co-operation and exchange, and promote high-quality development of Chinese medicine to go global."

The permanent premises of the GCMTI are located at 3 Pak Shing Kok Road in Tseung Kwan O, adjacent to The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong, representing two flagship institutions for the development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong. The new building features the following four key components:

1. State-of-the-art laboratories

Equipped with four specialties of advanced laboratories and over 3 300 pieces of laboratory equipment and information technology equipment, the laboratories will utilise cutting-edge technology to support the development of innovative, faster, more accurate, and highly versatile testing methods for CM.

2. International Collaboration and Training Centre

Featuring multidisciplinary training and technology transfer laboratories, the new premises are designed to strengthen exchange and collaboration with relevant Mainland and international organisations in the field of CM testing technologies. It also serves as a training base for DH to support its role as the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine.

3. Chinese Medicines Herbarium and Laboratories (CMHL)

The CMHL will exhibit about 3 500 specimens. Among them are over 300 representative and precious specimens from various regions, gifted by the National Medical Products Administration. These include giant wild Astragali Radix and Cistanches Herba. Through the systematic display of these specimens, visitors will be able to understand the complete lifecycle of CM, from source plants and Chinese medicinal materials to decoction pieces ready for clinical applications and proprietary Chinese medicines (pCm), thereby enhancing public knowledge of and interest in CM. The CMHL has a special design that allows visitors to observe the work inside the laboratories. Schools and groups interested in visiting may make reservations via email at gcmti@dh.gov.hk starting from tomorrow.

4. Shennong Herbal Garden

Covering approximately 700 square metres, this medicinal plant garden showcases around 180 species of medicinal plants, with a storyline on Lingnan region's "Local Herbal Tea" and "Seasonal Soup". It aims to promote Chinese medicine culture and knowledge while actively advocating healthy lifestyles. Currently, the Shennong Herbal Garden is only open for school and group reservations (same reservation method as above), with public access to be announced later.

One of the GCMTI's key accomplishments is the implementation of the Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards, covering reference standards for over 340 Chinese Materia Medica (CMM) to date. Supported by the GCMTI's Advisory Committee, the GCMTI has also completed dozens of thematic projects that utilise cutting-edge technologies, including the development of versatile testing methods for chemical markers in pCm, micro-morphological identifications of CM, and the establishment of a three-dimensional (3D) image database for traceable medicinal materials through photogrammetry. The phased commissioning of the new building's facilities marks a comprehensive upgrade of the DH in CM testing, standard setting and technology transfer.

Dr Lam added, "With the new premises, our multidisciplinary team of experts will continue to actively promote the inheritance and innovative development of Chinese medicine, deepening its integration into the national development strategy in Chinese medicine and fostering the comprehensive, high-quality development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong. This new facility will not only serve as a hub for CM testing and standard setting but will also bear the important responsibility of disseminating Chinese medicine culture. Through the CM specimens, the Shennong Herbal Garden and professional guided tours, we will bridge the gap between the public and Chinese medicine."

Specimens of the GCMTI and its global-first 3D CMM images can be viewed at the Digital Herbarium for Chinese Medicines (www.cmherbarium.gov.hk).

DH's Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute opens its permanent premises, offering free guided tours of Chinese Medicines Herbarium and medicinal plant garden starting tomorrow Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

DH's Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute opens its permanent premises, offering free guided tours of Chinese Medicines Herbarium and medicinal plant garden starting tomorrow Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

DH's Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute opens its permanent premises, offering free guided tours of Chinese Medicines Herbarium and medicinal plant garden starting tomorrow Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

DH's Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute opens its permanent premises, offering free guided tours of Chinese Medicines Herbarium and medicinal plant garden starting tomorrow Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

22 persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operations

The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations codenamed "Twilight" and joint operations with the Hong Kong Police Force codenamed "Champion" from March 27 to yesterday (April 1). During the anti-illegal worker operations, investigators raided multiple target locations including restaurants, industrial buildings and flats under renovation, etc. Twenty suspected illegal workers and two suspected employers were arrested. The arrested suspected illegal workers comprised 15 men and five women, aged 25 to 57. Among them, one man and one woman were holding recognisance forms which prohibit them from taking any employment. Two men, aged 36 and 60, were suspected of employing the illegal workers and were also arrested. An investigation into the suspected employers is ongoing, and the possibility of further arrests is not ruled out.

An ImmD spokesman said, "Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years' imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties."

The spokesman warned, "As stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land is prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years' imprisonment. As stipulated in section 20(1)(a) of the Immigration Ordinance, the Chief Executive may make a deportation order against an immigrant, prohibiting the immigrant from being in Hong Kong at any time thereafter if the immigrant has been found guilty in Hong Kong of an offence punishable by imprisonment for not less than two years."

The spokesman stressed that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years' imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years' imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.

According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.

Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) and/or forced labour victims. When any TIP and/or forced labour indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP and/or forced labour elements. Identified TIP and/or forced labour victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP and/or forced labour victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.

For reporting illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 185 185, fax at 2824 1166, emailanti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit the "Online Reporting of Immigration Offences" form atwww.immd.gov.hk.

22 persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operations Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases