Women's Commission welcomes 2026-27 Budget
The following is issued on behalf of the Women's Commission:
The Women's Commission (WoC) welcomes the initiatives on promoting women's development in the 2026-27 Budget delivered today (February 25) by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan.
In the Budget, the Financial Secretary mentioned that to promote all-round women's development, the annual funding for the Women Empowerment Fund (WEF) under the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau and the WoC will be increased to $30 million starting from the next financial year.
The Chairperson of the WoC, Dr Eliza Chan, said, "The increase in the annual funding for the WEF announced in the Budget demonstrates the Government's steadfast support for promoting women's all-round development. I look forward to seeing more women's groups and non-governmental organisations make good use of this resource to implement projects that could better meet women's actual needs and be more diversified in nature, thereby supporting women in realising their full potential and achieving self-fulfilment at different stages of life."
She added, "Looking ahead, the WoC will continue to advise the Government on policies concerning women's development and promote greater attention and support from all sectors of society for women's rights and development."
The WoC was established in 2001 and is committed to enabling women in Hong Kong to fully realise their due status, rights, and opportunities in all aspects of life. It adopts a three-pronged strategy, namely the provision of an enabling environment, empowerment of women through capacity building, and public education, to promote the well-being and interests of women.
Source: AI-found images
Hospital Authority welcomes 2026-27 Budget
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The Hospital Authority (HA) Chairman, Mr Henry Fan, welcomed the 2026-27 Budget announced by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Legislative Council today (February 25). The 2026-27 annual subvention for the HA will be $103.1 billion (including $101.8 billion recurrent), having increased by 2.9 per cent compared to the 2025-26 revised provision.
The Hospital Authority (HA) Chairman, Mr Henry Fan, Photo source: FB of HA
Mr Fan expressed his gratitude to the Government for the continuous increase to the subvention for the HA in order to support the enhancement of public healthcare services. The Public Healthcare Fees and Charges Reform has been fully implemented and has shown initial success. The HA will continue to make optimal use of resources and ensure their proper allocation so that public resources are used effectively to promote the sustainable development of public healthcare services. Enhancing healthcare protection for the "poor, acute, serious, critical" patients on all fronts will ensure that the resources of the public healthcare system can be directed in a targeted manner to help those patients most in need, and fulfil the healthcare system's role as a safety net.
Mr Fan said, "With the staunch support of our nation and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, the HA will continue to strengthen its services to provide patients with timely treatment and care. The HA will continue to strive to provide high-quality medical services to the public. The HA is conducting accreditation for various public hospitals, and is setting up a third stroke centre in accordance with national accreditation standards."
The HA Chief Executive, Dr Libby Lee, thanked the HKSAR Government for supporting the continuous enhancement of public hospital services. "The HA will continue to strengthen its service capacity to meet the needs of the community, which includes enhancing service quality, streamlining processes, reducing patient waiting times and optimising hospital environments. The HA is committed to provide patient-centred clinical services with warmth, so that patients could receive appropriate medical treatment in a well-maintained environment," said Dr Lee.
The HA Chief Executive, Dr Libby Lee, Photo by Bastille Post
The HA will continue to execute various measures for the sustainable development of public healthcare and align with the policy on primary healthcare, including the enhancement of Family Medicine Integrated Centres and Family Medicine Clinics in different districts. In the coming financial year, over 200 additional public hospital beds will be opened and continuous improvements will be made to specialist out-patient clinics and radiology services, as well as the provision of additional operating theatre sessions. Meanwhile, ophthalmology services will also be strengthened by increasing the service capacity of cataract, eye surgery and other treatment procedures.
The HA will reinforce holistic care for cancer patients utilising AI to improve the accuracy and efficiency of cancer diagnoses, and increasing cancer-related genetic and genomic testing. The HA will provide fast-track diagnostic services to patients with suspected lung cancer and implement a cancer case manager programme to provide timely treatment tailored to patient needs. Additionally, the HA will continue to enhance palliative and end-of-life care services to enable terminally ill patients to die with dignity.
Mr Fan and Dr Lee once again thanked the HKSAR Government for its support of public healthcare services. The HA will utilise the subvention properly and strive to implement relevant measures for the benefit of patients.
The Hospital Authority (HA), Photo by Bastille Post
