Property owner fined nearly $80,000 for not complying with removal order
An owner was convicted and fined $78,650 in total, of which $28,650 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued, at the Fanling Magistrates' Courts on Tuesday (May 12) for failing to comply with a removal order issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123).
The Fanling Magistrates' Courts, the Fanling Law Courts Building
The case involved four structures with a total area of about 82 square metres at the garden and roof of a detached house on Kwu Tung Road, Sheung Shui. As the unauthorised building works (UBWs) were carried out without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), a removal order was served on the owner under section 24(1) of the BO. Failing to comply with the removal order, the owner was prosecuted by the BD.
A spokesman for the BD said today (May 14), "UBWs may lead to serious consequences. Owners must comply with removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take enforcement action against owners who fail to comply with removal orders, including instigation of prosecution, to ensure building and public safety."
Failure to comply with a removal order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $200,000 and one year's imprisonment, and a further fine of up to $20,000 for each day that the offence continues.
Source: AI-found images
New interface of eHealth App and publicity campaign launched
The Health Bureau (HHB) announced today (May 14) the launch of a new interface and functional enhancements for the eHealth mobile application (eHealth App) to further improve the user experience, with a view to transforming the eHealth App into an unified health management tool for all Hong Kong citizens. A publicity campaign was also launched on the same day.
Since its launch in 2021, the eHealth App has recorded cumulative downloads of over 4.1 million, and the average monthly login count has steadily increased in recent years, exceeding 1.2 million. Drawing on feedback from different user groups, such as patient organisations, parents and the elderly, the HHB has introduced the new enhanced interface.
The new interface of the eHealth App features a personalised home page. Through the "My Profile" function, users can consolidate various categories of personalised health information, including a to-do list (such as appointment reminders, health programme service reminders, health management alerts and cross-boundary health record applications) and daily health management matters (such as blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose and body measurements). The "Useful Tools" shortcuts enable users to quickly access their most frequently used features. A new "Health Journey" function is also introduced on the eHealth App to display users' past health records and health programme details on a timeline, thereby enabling users to better monitor their health trajectory.
Moreover, the latest version of the eHealth App offers a "Lite Mode", which incorporates larger fonts, clear icons and a streamlined layout, with the goal of better addressing the needs of the elderly and other users who require such accessibility features.
Under the eHealth+ five-year development plan, the HHB continues to roll out and enhance the core functions of the eHealth App, enabling citizens to manage their health records, access health information, monitor their personal health and develop healthier lifestyles anytime and anywhere through a single one-stop platform. The key functions include:
1. "My Health Records" - View and share electronic health records deposited by local public and private healthcare providers as well as designated medical institutions in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. These records include medication, laboratory and radiology reports and medical certificates, covering a range of Western and Chinese medicine records. Starting from March this year, the eHealth App has introduced the "eImaging" function, allowing citizens to view radiology images directly on their mobile phones without the need to carry physical imaging reports.
2. "My Health Programmes" - Centrally manage all public health programmes and services, such as the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme, the Chronic Disease Co Care Scheme, and the District Health Centre services. Key functions include viewing remaining service quotas, usage details and medical records, as well as scheduling future services.
3. "Doctor Search" and "eBooking" - Search for healthcare providers and professionals by location, consultation hours, health programmes and types of electronic health records that can be deposited, and other criteria. Instant bookings can be made for services provided by the Hospital Authority, the Department of Health, the 18 Chinese Medicine Clinics cum Training and Research Centres and some private healthcare providers, enabling efficient planning for medical consultations.
4. "Cross boundary Health Record" and "Personal Folder" - Enable secure use of electronic health records across the boundary at a total of 20 medical institutions, including the University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Hospital and other medical institutions under the Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme.
5. "eMedical Certificate" - Verify all electronic medical certificates issued by the public sector, enabling centralised management and usage of personal medical documents.
A spokesman for the HHB said, "The launch of the brand-new interface and functions of the eHealth App will bring citizens a more personalised, smooth and convenient user experience. We will continue to deepen the seamless connectivity between eHealth and other public and private healthcare electronic platforms. By integrating citizens' public and private medical records and developing more core functions in a progressive manner, we can fully realise eHealth's strategic role as 'One Digital Front Door to Empowering Tool'. This will enable citizens to manage their own and their family members' healthcare needs more conveniently through a single and centralised platform."
The HHB will concurrently roll out a series of publicity activities under the theme of "eHealth: Your All-in-One Health Link". The HHB has produced several promotional videos for broadcast on various media platforms to introduce the new interface design and unique functions of the eHealth App. Citizens may also visit the thematic website to learn about the enhanced interface and functions. In addition, the HHB will collaborate with non-governmental organisations, secondary schools and elderly centres to launch the eHealth+ Intergeneration Pilot Programme. Under this initiative, student volunteers will serve as mentors to teach the elderly how to use the eHealth App, with a view to establishing a sustainable teaching model within the community, thereby empowering more citizens to manage their own health through eHealth.
Source: AI-found images
