Hospital Authority to standardise caller identification number prefix 18285 and 18286 from tomorrow
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The spokesperson for the Hospital Authority (HA) reminded the public today (May 25) that starting from tomorrow (May 26), HA operating units, including public hospitals, family medicine clinics, specialist outpatient clinics, healthcare institutions and the HA Head Office will progressively adopt a number between 1828 500 and 1828 599 or between 1828 600 and 1828 699 for caller identification (caller ID) purposes (see appendix). The change is expected to be completed by the end of June.
All new numbers will be used solely for caller ID purposes of calls made by the HA, to assist the public in identifying incoming calls. When members of the public call back the number, they will generally only hear a recorded phone message indicating which public hospital or clinic the call originated from. If necessary, staff will contact them again later. The caller ID number will not be connected to the relevant public hospital or clinic. As for the existing phone numbers for contacting HA operating units, they will remain unchanged. Members of the public may visit the HA website to check the relevant dialling numbers. In addition, for operational needs, some HA operating units will still retain direct landline numbers or use mobile phones to contact members of the public.
The spokesperson for the HA reiterated that the purpose of adopting caller ID numbers beginning with 18285 or 18286 is to enable members of the public to clearly identify HA calls, thereby reducing the chances of them refusing to answer calls due to concerns about excessive promotional calls or potential phone scams, and even missing urgent calls from accident and emergency departments or wards.
The HA reminds members of the public to take care to verify the identity of the caller when receiving calls from public hospitals. Where the HA needs to contact members of the public, it will generally do so by having staff call them directly and provide relevant information to verify identity. Members of the public should not provide any personal information to calls from unknown sources to avoid privacy breaches. If members of the public suspect they have received a scam call, they should seek assistance from the Police.
Source: AI-found images
CHP received notification from Chinese Mainland of two Mpox cases with epidemiological linkage in Hong Kong
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) said today (May 25) that it has received notification from the health authorities of the Chinese Mainland of two confirmed Mpox (also known as Monkeypox) cases who had high-risk contact in Hong Kong under the joint prevention and control mechanism. The CHP has immediately carried out follow-up actions and epidemiological investigation. The CHP urged the public to be vigilant and avoid close physical contact with persons suspected of contracting Mpox. Meanwhile, high-risk target groups are advised to receive Mpox vaccination.
According to the investigation results from the health authorities of the Chinese Mainland, the first case involved a 28-year-old male who developed a fever and painful swelling in the groin area on May 8. During his incubation period, he visited a premises called "Hutong" on Shanghai Street, Mong Kok,on May 3,and had high-risk contacts there. The second case involved a 30-year-old male who developed a rash over his bilateral lower limbs on May 15. During his incubation period, he visited the above-mentioned premises on May 1 and May 3 respectively and had high-risk contacts there. Although the two patients did not know each other, they both stayed for several hours at this premises during the same period on May 3. Their samples collected after the onset of symptoms tested positive for Mpox. Both patients are now receiving medical treatment in stable condition in the Chinese Mainland.
The CHP considers that the two patients may have been infected through highrisk contact with a person infected with Mpox at the premises. The CHP has visited the premises for an onsite inspection and commenced contact tracing. The CHP has attempted to obtain a list of customers who had visited the premises on that day, but the person-in-charge of the premises was unable to provide the relevant customer information. The CHP already has provided health education to the staff of the premises. To date, all staff members remain asymptomatic.
The CHP has set up a telephone hotline (2125 2373), which operates from 9am to 6pm from Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays). The CHP appeals to the members of the public who have visited the concerned premises on Shanghai Street since May 1, especially those who have hadsexual contact with strangers there, to call the Mpox telephone hotline as soon as possible, to facilitate the CHP to provide health assessments and advice. The CHP will arrange persons with relevant symptoms to have testing. The CHP has also reminded healthcare professionals of the Hospital Authority and the Social Hygiene Service Clinics (SocHS) under the CHP that, if a patient is found to have compatible symptoms and has visited the concerned premises, arrangements should be made for the patient to undergo testing.
The CHP's contact tracing and investigation into the source of infection are still ongoing. It will maintain close liaison with the health authorities of the Chinese Mainland, and exchange information on the relevant epidemiological investigations and contacttracing work.
Since 2022, Hong Kong has recorded a total of 86 Mpox cases (69 local cases and 17 imported cases), including the two above-mentioned cases. All patients were males. Epidemiological investigations revealed that most cases had history of high-risk sexual behaviour, including having sex with strangers or having sex without wearing condoms.
Mpox is not transmitted through respiratory droplets or aerosols in general, and transmission would not occur through social contact. The CHP reminds the public, especially those at higher risks of exposure, to take precautions and avoid close physical contact with persons or animals suspected of infection. They should seek medical attention as soon as possible if they experience relevant symptoms, including rash, fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion, muscle pain, and severe headaches. They should not engage in activities with others that may involve contact with skin rash or body fluids.
Mpox vaccine can prevent infection and severe disease. The DH provides Mpox vaccination services for highrisk groups. The following high-risk target groups are eligible for Mpox vaccinations on a voluntary basis:
individuals with high-risk sexual practices, e.g. having multiple sexual partners, sex workers, or having a history of sexually transmitted infection within the past 12 months;
healthcare workersresponsible forcaring forpatients with confirmed Mpox;
laboratory personnel working with zoonotic pox viruses; and
animal care personnel with high risk of exposure in caseof Mpox occurrences in animals in Hong Kong.
High-risk target groups can receive Mpox walk-in vaccinations at any of the DH's SocHS (namely Chai Wan SocHS, Wan Chai Male SocHS, Wan Chai Female SocHS, Yau Ma Tei Male SocHS, Yau Ma Tei Female SocHS, Yung Fung Shee SocHS, Fanling SocHS and Tuen Mun SocHS) and the DH's Yau Ma Tei Integrated Treatment Centre.
Meanwhile, the DH's Kowloon Bay Integrated Treatment Centre and the Hospital Authority's Special Medical Clinics at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital also provide Mpox vaccination services for their clients.
For more details, please visit the CHP's page onMpoxandMpox Vaccination Programme.
Source: AI-found images
