Remarks by S for Health at media session on public healthcare fees and charges reform and Medical Council of Hong Kong
Following are the remarks made by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, at a media session after attending a radio programme this morning (August 22):
Reporter: How does the number of full medical fee waiver change so far since the public health care reform was implemented at the beginning of this year? And also, what you mentioned earlier about the reform on the Medical Council, how would that four-tier penalty mechanism help to safeguard both doctors and patients better?
Secretary for Health: The fee waiver before the fees and charges reform implemented since January 1 this year, there were about 14 000 people who actually got the fee waivers; but up to today, for this year, we have already had over 280 000 fee waivers approved. This is a dramatic increase. More than 20 times now in the number of people who actually got the fee waivers, and the majority of these who got the fee waiver approvals were complete waiving of the fees and charges, meaning that the patient would not be required to pay any fees at all. This is a very dramatic improvement in safeguarding those who have financial difficulty through an assessment of their income and assets, so we will continue to ensure that low income families would benefit from this and that no one will be deprived of healthcare services because of a lack of financial means.
Regarding the reform of the Medical Council (Medical Council of Hong Kong), the new penalty options will ensure that both the public and the professionals, that the doctors to be given a more fair and visible judgment and penalty according to a four-tier mechanism, and this will also help us to make the best use of the options, because in the past, there is either a suspension of the removal from the register or there is no way that for a particular doctor who's deficient in certain skills to be given a more precise penalty. For example, if a doctor is deficient in certain skill, the new penalty mechanism will be able to impose restrictions on his practice without completely suspending his practicing license. This is very important and we want to ensure that the penalty mechanism is fair both for the public and for the professionals at the same time, making the best use of our regime.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)
Source: AI-found images
LD reminds employers and employees to take heat stroke preventive measures in times of Heat Stress at Work Warning
As the Heat Stress at Work Warning is now in effect, the Labour Department (LD) reminds employers and employees to take appropriate measures during the effective period of the warning to prevent heat stroke when working in hot weather or hot environments.
Employees who work outdoors or in non-air-conditioned indoor environments face high levels of heat stress and are at a relatively higher risk of heat stroke. Employers should assess the risk factors of heat stress for employees at work and, based on the identified risk factors, take necessary preventive and control measures, including rescheduling work periods, setting up shading covers, providing ventilation and heat dissipation equipment, and reminding employees to replenish water and rest in a timely manner.
The Heat Stress at Work Warning is formulated by the LD based on the Hong Kong Heat Index. There are three levels of the warning: Amber, Red and Black, which help employers and employees better understand the level of heat stress while working outdoors or indoors without air-conditioning systems.
A spokesman for the LD said that when the department issues the Heat Stress at Work Warning, employers must refer to the criteria and recommendations provided in the "Guidance Notes on Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work" to conduct risk assessments, according to the workloads and other relevant heat stress risk factors, for employees who work outdoors or in non-air-conditioned indoor workplaces. Appropriate rest breaks should be arranged every hour, as far as reasonably practicable, based on various levels of the Heat Stress at Work Warning, to reduce employees' risk of heat stroke.
Employees must also follow instructions to rest on time. Whenever there are any symptoms of heat-related illnesses, such as headache, dizziness, thirst, and nausea, they should rest in a cool and shady place, drink water, and inform employers/supervisors to take appropriate action immediately.
The LD issued the "Guidance Notes on Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work", detailing the various risk factors that should be considered when conducting heat stress risk assessments and recommending corresponding control measures for identified risk factors for employers' and employees' reference. For the Heat Stress at Work Warning and related guidelines, please refer to the department's thematic webpage: www.labour.gov.hk/eng/news/prevention_of_heat_stroke_at_work.htm.
Source: AI-found images
