Health Secretary Visits Hong Kong Children's Hospital to Review Tertiary Healthcare Services and Future Development Plans

Secretary for Health visits Hong Kong Children's Hospital

The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, visited the Hong Kong Children's Hospital (HKCH) today (July 3) to learn about the operations and the latest developments of the hospital's provision of tertiary healthcare services as a Centre of Excellence in Paediatrics.

Accompanied by the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority (HA), Dr Libby Lee; the Director (Quality and Safety) of the HA, Dr Michael Wong; the Cluster Chief Executive of Kowloon Central of the HA, Dr Eric Cheung; and the Hospital Chief Executive of the HKCH, Dr Lee Tsz-leung, Professor Lo visited facilities and relevant services including the specialist outpatient clinic (SOPC), the Department of Radiology, operating theatres, and specialist wards.

Professor Lo said, "The HKCH brings together expert teams in various paediatric specialties, advanced medical equipments, and a treatment environment tailored to the unique needs of paediatric patients. Since its commencement of services by phases from late 2018, the HKCH has collaborated with regional hospitals to establish a paediatric service network to provide highly complex tertiary healthcare services that require advanced technology and multidisciplinary expertise, offering advanced treatment for children suffering from severe, complex or uncommon diseases. The HKCH has been continuously expanding paediatric services since its opening. I look forward to the hospital not only continuing to strengthen care for paediatric patients with severe and rare diseases, but also expanding its existing service arrangements to cater for a wider range of paediatric patients and taking up the responsibilities of integrating paediatric services across the HA and training in the future."

During the visit, Professor Lo gained a further understanding of the hospital's specialist outpatient services, which cover over 100 consultation categories across paediatric subspecialties, surgery, and clinical genetics. Dedicated multidisciplinary clinics have been established for patients with complex rare diseases to formulate more co-ordinated and personalised treatment plans. The SOPC also provides one-stop services, arranging follow-up consultations, examinations, and rehabilitation across specialties for patients on the same day where possible.

Professor Lo was also briefed on the hospital's unique services, including paediatric haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, heart transplantation, and kidney transplantation, as well as the only paediatric oncology centre and paediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation centre in Hong Kong. In recent years, the hospital has introduced and developed numerous advanced medical services, including performing a heart transplant for a 4-month-old baby girl in 2022; administering Hong Kong's first gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy for a 10-month-old baby boy in 2023; operating the Hong Kong Breast Milk Bank to provide high-quality and safe donor breast milk to neonatal intensive care units across the territory; and offering a newborn screening programme which covers more than 30 diseases, enabling more newborns to benefit from early detection of serious genetic or rare diseases.

Professor Lo emphasised, "When formulating its future development plans, the HKCH should continue to align with the policy direction as set out in the Chief Executive's 2024 Policy Address to fully integrate paediatric services across HA clusters, while continuing to expand services, strengthen training for paediatric healthcare talent and promote research and development, thereby supporting the Government's policy direction on developing paediatric services, with a view to enabling the HKCH to fully realise its role as a Centre of Excellence in Paediatrics."

Secretary for Health visits Hong Kong Children's Hospital Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health visits Hong Kong Children's Hospital Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health visits Hong Kong Children's Hospital Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health visits Hong Kong Children's Hospital Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health visits Hong Kong Children's Hospital Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health visits Hong Kong Children's Hospital Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health visits Hong Kong Children's Hospital Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health visits Hong Kong Children's Hospital Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health visits Hong Kong Children's Hospital Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

InvestHK welcomes Thai energy group Bangchak's long-term commitment to Hong Kong as its regional commercial and trading hub

Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) today (July 3) welcomed leading Thai energy group Bangchak Corporation Public Company Limited on the commencement of its Hong Kong fuels business, marking a significant long-term commitment to the city and positioning Hong Kong as its regional commercial and trading hub.

In February 2026, Bangchak announced the full acquisition of Chevron Hong Kong Limited at US$270 million. Under this completed deal, effective on June 30, the company - which will be renamed Bangchak Hong Kong - is now the fuels licensee of Caltex in Hong Kong and operates 31 service stations in Hong Kong under the Caltex brand, alongside oil storage terminals, and industrial, marine and commercial fuel operations, running as "Caltex licensed by Bangchak".

Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion of InvestHK Mr Arnold Lau said, "We are delighted to welcome Bangchak, one of Asia's leading energy groups, as it makes Hong Kong the hub for its North Asia ambitions. Its decision testifies to Hong Kong's institutional trust, unparalleled connectivity, as well as world-class financial, logistics, and trading ecosystems. This is among the largest investments from Thailand, and one of the largest from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), that we have seen in Hong Kong in recent years, demonstrating growing two-way trade and investment flows between Hong Kong and ASEAN."

The Group Chief Executive Officer and President, Bangchak Corporation Public Company Limited, Mr Chaiwat Kovavisarach, said, "Our investment in Hong Kong is a long-term commitment to a premier international energy market. Hong Kong is our gateway to North Asia, serving as the commercial and trading hub as we expand our retail, commercial, marine, aviation and trading businesses globally. We will preserve what has made the business successful while bringing the wider strengths of Bangchak to create shared opportunities for our employees, customers, suppliers and partners."

InvestHK provided comprehensive, end-to-end support to facilitate Bangchak's market entry. This included dedicated advisory on cross-border investment, seamless licensing fulfilment, and facilitation on talent deployment to support the group's regional expansion.

Bangchak is a leading Thai energy group established in 1984, operating in about 10 countries with a diversified portfolio spanning petroleum refining, fuel marketing and service stations, oil trading, upstream energy, power and infrastructure, and new businesses. Listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand, the group runs two world-class refineries with a combined capacity of approximately 300 000 barrels per day.

The recent move in Hong Kong reflects Bangchak's intention to grow an established business in Hong Kong with experienced talent, trusted customer relationships and strategic infrastructure over the long term, while exploring opportunities to introduce bio-based and lower-carbon energy solutions to support the city's green economy goals.

For more information about Bangchak, please visit www.bangchak.co.th.

InvestHK welcomes Thai energy group Bangchak's long-term commitment to Hong Kong as its regional commercial and trading hub Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases