Hospital Authority statement on intern doctor's inappropriate act
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The Hospital Authority (HA) today (June 10) issued the following statement regarding social media posts discussing an intern doctor:
The Hospital Authority, Photo source: reference image
The HA is aware of recent social media posts concerning the inappropriate act of an intern doctor across different hospitals. The HA considers the matter extremely serious, affecting the professional image of healthcare staff.
The HA spokesperson reiterates that there is zero tolerance for any behaviour undermining patient safety and the professional conduct of doctors. Action has been taken to follow up rigorously to safeguard patient safety. The HA strongly condemns any inappropriate act concerned.
Regarding the suspicions of someone who logged into the Clinical Management System at Caritas Medical Centre (CMC) with another person's account and accessed patient records at Tuen Mun Hospital without authorisation, the HA has reported to the Police. The HA will co-operate fully with the police investigation and is conducting a comprehensive review of the relevant patient records to ascertain that patient safety has not been affected. No irregularities in patient treatment have been identified at this stage. The HA has immediately suspended the clinical duties of the intern doctor concerned and a resident doctor at Tuen Mun Hospital, and has also suspended their access right to the system in order to protect patient and system security.
Caritas Medical Centre, Photo source: reference image
The HA had previously seriously warned the intern doctor concerned for an inappropriate act committed during an internship at Ruttonjee Hospital, and had already taken disciplinary action against the intern doctor concerned and another resident doctor for inappropriate acts at CMC. The HA will continue to investigate whether the intern doctor concerned is involved in any other inappropriate act. If it is confirmed that the intern doctor concerned or any other doctor has engaged in an inappropriate act that violates medical professional standards, the HA will handle the matter seriously and refer it to the Medical Council of Hong Kong for follow-up.
The HA has notified the medical school of the relevant university to follow up on the intern doctor's assessment of being fit for practice.
The HA holds doctors to the highest standards of professional conduct, behaviour, and discipline. The HA insists that all doctors serving patients in public hospitals must possess both medical competence and conduct themselves in a professional manner. In addition to having professional knowledge to treat patients, they must uphold the strictest professional conduct and place patient well-being, safety, and care as their foremost priority at all times. The HA has absolutely zero tolerance for any form of behaviour that undermines the professional conduct of doctors. The HA will follow up on such behaviour with utmost seriousness, and will not permit any doctors concerned to practise in public hospitals to safeguard patient safety.
DH convenes 14th Meeting of International Advisory Board on Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards
The Department of Health (DH) today (July 14) convened the 14th Meeting of the International Advisory Board (IAB) on Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards (HKCMMS) to review the reference standards for 16 types of Chinese Materia Medica (CMM) commonly used in Hong Kong, and to discuss the future development of the HKCMMS. Over 60 experts from the Chinese Mainland, overseas and Hong Kong attended the meeting.
Since 2002, the DH has been implementing the HKCMMS project in phases to develop standards for commonly used CMM in Hong Kong to ensure their safety and quality.
In his opening remarks, the Director of Health and the Chairperson of the IAB, Dr Ronald Lam, said, "One of the key initiatives of the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute (GCMTI) under the DH is the implementation of the HKCMMS. With the publication of the Volume 12 of the HKCMMS, standards for 357 types of CMM have been established so far. They have become widely recognised international reference standards for Chinese medicine testing and certification, thereby promoting the high-quality scientific development of Chinese medicine. In addition, the work of GCMTI is closely aligned with national priorities. The National 15th Five-Year Plan made it clear that we need to 'advance the inheritance and innovation of Chinese medicine' and 'promote the integration of Chinese and Western medicine'. It also calls for us to 'strengthen the conservation and utilisation of Chinese medicine resources', 'improve the quality of Chinese medicine, and build up and strengthen the Chinese medicine industry'. These are exactly the goals that the HKCMMS Project is helping to achieve - by setting rigorous quality standards for CMM and conducting applied research and development on testing methods that underpin the entire industry, establishing the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as a bridgehead for the global expansion of Chinese Medicine."
Dr Lam emphasised that the success of the HKCMMS project depends on the active collaboration of stakeholders across different sectors. He expressed his sincere appreciation to the four research partners attending the meeting, commending their dedicated contributions to advancing the project's research efforts. They were the National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the China Medical University. He also thanked the Government Laboratory for conducting inter-laboratory verification studies. Dr Lam emphasised that these collaborations are crucial for establishing a rigorous and solid scientific foundation for the HKCMMS and gaining international credibility. The DH is also deeply grateful to the National Medical Products Administration, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission for their continuous valuable advice and support in developing the HKCMMS. To align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan to advance the inheritance, innovation and high-quality development of Chinese medicine, expand and promote Chinese medicine culture, the DH will continue to steadfastly promote the development of Chinese medicine and better integrate into and serve the overall national development.
The two-day meeting brought together experts from the Chinese Mainland, Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as representatives from research institutions, the DH and the Government Laboratory of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The 16 types of CMM commonly used in Hong Kong that were discussed at the meeting included Bambusae Caulis in Taenias, Pyrolae Herba, Natrii Sulfas, Dichroae Radix, Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae Rhizoma, Cynanchi Atrati Radix et Rhizoma, Jasmini Flos, Tinosporae Caulis, Inulae Flos, Haematitum, Lasiosphaera seu Calvatia, Vespae Nidus, Dioscoreae Rhizoma, Aconiti Kusnezoffii Folium, Meliae Cortex and Tripterygii Wilfordii Radix.
Previous editions of the HKCMMS can be accessed at the website of the Chinese Medicine Regulatory Office of the DH.
DH convenes 14th Meeting of International Advisory Board on Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
DH convenes 14th Meeting of International Advisory Board on Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
DH convenes 14th Meeting of International Advisory Board on Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
