Analytical Accounts of Exchange Fund
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) released today (December 12) the key analytical accounts of the Exchange Fund at the end of November 2025.
Foreign assets, representing the external assets of the Exchange Fund, increased during the month by HK$28.9 billion to HK$3,538.0 billion.
The Monetary Base, comprising Certificates of Indebtedness, Government‑issued currency notes and coins in circulation, the balance of the banking system and Exchange Fund Bills and Notes issued, amounted to HK$2,032.2 billion.
Claims on the private sector in Hong Kong amounted to HK$313.6billion.
Foreign liabilities amounted to HK$35.8 billion.
The analytical accounts of the Exchange Fund are released in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) and are referred to as the Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank under SDDS (Annex).
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At present, four press releases relating to the Exchange Fund's data are issued by the HKMA each month. Three of these releases are issued to disseminate monetary data in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's SDDS. The fourth press release, on the Exchange Fund's Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account, is made in accordance with the HKMA's policy of maintaining a high level of transparency. For the month of December 2025, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
December 5
(Issued) |
SDDS International Reserves
(Hong Kong's Latest Foreign Currency Reserve Assets Figures) |
December 12 |
SDDS Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank
(Analytical Accounts of the Exchange Fund) |
December 31 |
SDDS Template on International Reserves and
Foreign Currency Liquidity |
December 31 |
Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and
Currency Board Account |
Source: AI-found images
Fire Services Department and Hospital Authority to launch Pre-hospital Stroke Diversion Scheme
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
TheFire Services Department(FSD)and the Hospital Authority (HA) announced today (December 12) that the Pre-hospital Stroke Diversion Scheme (Primary Diversion Scheme) will be launched starting from 8.30am on December 15 in the New Territories East Cluster (NTEC) and the New Territories West Cluster (NTWC) of the HA.
Since 2021, the HA and the FSD have collaborated to implement the Pre-hospital Stroke Notification mechanism on a territory-wide basis. The FSD's ambulance personnel will perform a pre-hospital stroke assessment before patients arrive at the hospital, utilising standardised medical evaluations to determine if the patient exhibits suspected acute stroke symptoms. In case a patient is assessed as requiring notification, the ambulance personnel will immediately call the Accident and Emergency Department (AED) of the public hospital concerned, enabling the hospital's stroke team to make advance arrangements for examination and treatment.
In line with the objectives set out by the Chief Executive in the 2025 Policy Address on strengthening the emergency stroke service network and further optimising service workflows to improve patients' survival rate and functional recovery, the FSD and the HA will strengthen collaboration and initiate to implement the Primary Diversion Scheme in the NTEC and the NTWC. Under the scheme, patients preliminarily assessed by ambulance personnel as having suspected large vessel occlusion (LVO) will be directly conveyed to designated HA hospitals within the service catchment areas for early treatment. Specifically, patients from Sha Tin, Tai Po and North districts will be taken to Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH) in the NTEC, while those from Tuen Mun and Yuen Long districts will be sent directly to Tuen Mun Hospital (TMH) in the NTWC. By triaging patients promptly at the pre-hospital stage and conveying them directly to designated hospitals capable of providing appropriate treatment services, the scheme can avoid the need for inter-hospital transfers and repeated assessments, further shortening the overall time for treatment, gaining more "golden time" for patients and reducing their risk of brain damage and long-term disability.
Suspected LVO patients will receive immediate examinations and diagnosis upon arrival at the public hospital AED. If LVO is confirmed, the stroke team will provide suitable treatments based on the patient's clinical condition, which may include intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) to dissolve blood clots. If clinically appropriate, patients may also receive intra-arterial thrombectomy (IAT) surgery to restore blood flow to the brain as quickly as possible. Currently, PWH and TMH offer both IVT and IAT along with related support services. By directing suspected LVO patients to these two designated hospitals, healthcare staff can promptly arrange necessary examinations and procedures, thereby reducing the duration of cerebral ischemia and improving treatment outcomes. For stroke patients in other Clusters, the FSD's ambulance personnel will continue to swiftly convey patients to the public hospital AED for treatment in accordance with the established Pre-hospital Stroke Notification mechanism.
The HA spokesperson reminded the public that all public hospital AEDs are capable of providing appropriate treatment for stroke patients. If individuals suspect themselves or someone nearby are suffering from stroke, they should promptly attend the nearest AED, where healthcare staff will arrange necessary assessments and examinations. Members of the public calling the FSD's ambulance service for assistance are also advised to co-operate with the professional assessments and judgments conducted by the ambulance personnel, who will convey patients to a suitable hospital for further diagnosis.
To ensure the smooth implementation of the Primary Diversion Scheme, the HA and the FSD have conducted multiple drills in advance. Both parties will closely monitor the progress of the Scheme and review its effectiveness to continuously enhance the efficiency of stroke patient management and actively consider extending the Scheme to other Clusters in an orderly manner.
Strokes can be generally classified into two types, namely hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke. Treatment approaches differ for patients with each type. For ischemic strokes, all public hospital AEDs currently offer 24-hour IVT services. Since March of this year, PWH, TMH, Princess Margaret Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kwong Wah Hospital, Queen Mary Hospital, and Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital have also been providing 24-hour IAT services, supporting stroke patients across Hong Kong through a comprehensive service network.
Source: AI-found images
