Queen Mary Hospital Achieves Accreditation Under China's International Standards, Enhancing Public Healthcare Quality

Queen Mary Hospital achieves accreditation under China's International Hospital Accreditation Standards (2021 Version)

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

The Hospital Authority (HA) announced today (August 31) that Queen Mary Hospital (QMH) has been accredited under China's International Hospital Accreditation Standards (2021 Version), making it the fifth public hospital to receive this accreditation.

The Chief Executive of the HA, Dr Libby Lee, said, "QMH has become the fifth public hospital accredited under the national hospital accreditation standards, further reaffirming that the service quality and management standards of Hong Kong's public hospitals have aligned with national systems and reached international levels. The HA will continue to co-ordinate and encourage more public hospitals to participate in the accreditation process, continually enhancing the quality and safety of public healthcare services to international standards."

Dr Lee said that hospital accreditation is a significant opportunity for hospitals to thoroughly review and enhance their overall services. The HA expresses gratitude to the expert team from the Shenzhen Hospital Accreditation Research Center and local experts for providing valuable suggestions during the on-site survey. The suggestions are valuable for strengthening the quality of public healthcare.

The Research Center earlier sent experts to conduct on-site accreditation surveys at QMH. The expert team praised the hospital for elevating the multidisciplinary treatment workflow for chest pain and stroke patients to expedite the treatment, receiving accreditations of the National Chest Pain Centre and the National Stroke Centre, all of which were crucial for obtaining the overall accreditation. The expert team recognised that the hospital has a robust management structure and efficient oversight and investigation systems, and a dedication to providing patient-centred healthcare services, as well as continuous innovation in healthcare technology and service models. These factors were recognised as essential foundations for a hospital seeking international standards.

The Hospital Chief Executive of QMH, Dr Theresa Li, who led the hospital's accreditation preparation work, thanked the support from the Health Bureau and the HA Head Office. Dr Li said that the successful accreditation of QMH is the best affirmation to the hospital's long-standing commitment to patient safety and high-quality service, proving that the healthcare quality, management and service levels of the hospital have reached international standards and align with national systems, laying a solid foundation for its future development.

Dr Li expressed gratitude to the hospital team for their dedication to the accreditation process over the past year, noting that the hospital conducted a comprehensive review of its existing services through the accreditation process. Dr Li said that QMH will continue to uphold the value of people-centred care, strengthen multidisciplinary treatment services, and elevate the medical standard for patients with complex and acute conditions to provide high-quality healthcare for patients and safeguard public health.

Source: AI-found images

Hong Kong Customs detects two smuggling cases involving river trade vessels with goods worth about $8.5 million seized

Hong Kong Customs detected two suspected smuggling cases involving river trade vessels on August 19 and 20 respectively. Large batches of suspected smuggled goods with a total estimated market value of about $8.5 million were seized.

Through intelligence analysis and risk assessment, two river trade vessels departing from Hong Kong for Macao were selected for inspection on the abovementioned dates. Upon examination, Customs officers aboard the vessels found a large batch of suspected smuggled goods, including suspected pharmaceutical products, cosmetic injection vials, cigars and Chinese herbs.

Investigations are ongoing. The likelihood of arrests is not ruled out.

Being a government department primarily responsible for tackling smuggling activities, Customs has long been combating various smuggling activities on all fronts. Customs will keep up its enforcement action and continue to resolutely combat sea smuggling activities through proactive risk management and intelligence-based enforcement strategies, and carry out targeted anti-smuggling operations at suitable times to crack down on relevant crimes.

Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years upon conviction. Any person who exports pharmaceutical products and medicines without a valid export licence commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for two years.

Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account(crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Hong Kong Customs detects two smuggling cases involving river trade vessels with goods worth about $8.5 million seized Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects two smuggling cases involving river trade vessels with goods worth about $8.5 million seized Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases