Hong Kong – Health Bureau responds to Hong Kong Dental Association on Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme

Health Bureau responds to Hong Kong Dental Association on Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme

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     Regarding the Hong Kong Dental Association’s concern over the Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme (Pilot Scheme), the Health Bureau (HHB) gave the following response today (February 21):
 
     Since the launch of the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme at the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH) by the Government in 2015, eligible elderly persons have been entitled to use Elderly Health Care Vouchers (EHCVs) to receive dental services at the HKU-SZH during the past eight years or so. The relevant arrangement also applies to the Huawei Li Zhi Yuan Community Health Service Center which was commissioned as an additional service point last year. To provide greater convenience to Hong Kong elderly persons, the Government rolled out the Pilot Scheme to extend the arrangement of using EHCVs for private primary healthcare services to medical institutions in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) in a bid to offer more options of service points to eligible Hong Kong elderly persons.
 
     The Government attaches great importance to the service quality of the pilot medical institutions under the Pilot Scheme. To this end, the medical institutions (including the dental institutions) were selected for inclusion through a robust process. From last November to early February this year, the HHB and the Department of Health (DH) had conducted market research, sought opinions and recommendations from the Health Commission of Guangdong Province, and conducted site visits for direct inspection of facilities, equipment and operation of the medical institutions as well as meetings with relevant senior management to gain a thorough understanding of the institutions’ management structures and models as well as operation. Having taken into account eight key factors including service quality, experience in management and operation as well as fee standards and level, the Government subsequently enlisted seven high-quality pilot medical institutions (including two dental institutions) under the Pilot Scheme.
 
     To ensure the sustainability of high quality services at the pilot medical institutions, the Government is now working with various medical institutions (including the two dental institutions) on the follow-up arrangements. In particular, a training and service assurance mechanism will be established for the Pilot Scheme to cover various aspects such as service quality, training and operation, fee level, complaint machanism and patients’ experience.
 
     A spokesman for the HHB stressed that the Pilot Scheme will be equipped with a comprehensive and robust monitoring mechanism as for the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme (EHVS) being implemented in Hong Kong. The DH will keep a close watch under the training and service assurance mechanism. Members of the public may turn to the DH and the pilot medical institutions should they have any complaints regarding the Pilot Scheme in the future. The DH is keeping contact with the health authorities of the Mainland and will solicit their assistance when necessary.
 
     The spokesman added that Hong Kong medical sector (including the dental profession) has been maintaining a high level of professionality, with quite a number of the healthcare professionals enrolled in the EHVS. Hong Kong healthcare professionals are also seen to be practising in the GBA. At present, some 1500 dentists in Hong Kong have enrolled in the EHVS, providing services at over 3300 service points. Comparing with the few service points in the GBA, local dentists are still the most accessible channel for Hong Kong elderly persons to seek dental services. The Government hopes that the dental profession would proactively promote further developments of the profession and its service, and continue joining hands with the Government in pushing forward various initiatives for strengthening the city’s dental services with a view to enhancing the overall oral health of citizens.

Hong Kong – Development Bureau imposes regulating actions on contractor and subcontractor involved in fatal industrial incident

Development Bureau imposes regulating actions on contractor and subcontractor involved in fatal industrial incident

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     A spokesman for the Development Bureau (DEVB) said today (October 11) that the Government attached great importance to construction safety. In response to the fatal industrial incident at a construction site at To Wah Road, Kowloon yesterday (October 10), the DEVB, being the party to procure services for public works, imposed regulating actions on the contractor and subcontractor involved pursuant to the regulating regime.
 
     The spokesman said that the contractor concerned is on the List of Approved Contractors for Public Works and the List of Approved Suppliers of Materials and Specialist Contractors for Public Works (the Lists), while the sub-contractor is on the latter. 
 
     The contractor concerned, which was involved in a tower crane accident occurred at a construction site on Anderson Road in Sau Mau Ping last year, has been suspended from tendering for public works contracts in all categories until December 31, 2023. In response to the fatal industrial incident occurred yesterday, the DEVB is now initiating further regulating action on the contactor pursuant to the regulating regime and has served a notice to the contactor, specifying that the contractor’s eligibility for tendering for public works contracts in all categories will be further suspended until December 31, 2024.
 
     The DEVB also suspended today the subcontractor concerned from tendering for public works contracts in all categories for three months pursuant to the regulating regime. The subcontractor has to conduct an independent safety audit to review its safety management system. Taking cognisance of the outcome of the independent safety audit, the subcontractor is required to submit an improvement action plan and implement improvement measures, with a view to demonstrating that it has an effective safety management system before uplifting of the suspension from tendering can be considered. 
 
     Relevant government department is investigating this industrial incident and will handle it in accordance with the law. Subject to the investigation findings, the DEVB, being the procurement party, will impose further regulating actions on the contractor and subcontractor concerned later on, including extension of the period of suspension from tendering for public works contracts and even removal from the Lists.
 
     Regarding the tower crane accident that occurred at a construction site on Anderson Road in Sau Mau Ping in September 2022, the Labour Department and the Buildings Department have completed investigations and initiated prosecution against the relevant duty holders (including the above-mentioned contractor). The police is also actively conducting in-depth investigations into the case.

Hong Kong – Housing Bureau to launch “Trial Scheme on Special Allowance for Households of Transitional Housing” tomorrow

Housing Bureau to launch “Trial Scheme on Special Allowance for Households of Transitional Housing” tomorrow

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     ​The Housing Bureau (HB) will launch the “Trial Scheme on Special Allowance for Households of Transitional Housing” (“Trial Scheme”) tomorrow (August 22) to provide assistance to the new households of transitional housing for removal and adaptation to the new community.
      
     The “Trial Scheme” provides a one-off special allowance for new households of transitional housing projects under the “Funding Scheme to Support Transitional Housing Projects by Non-government Organisations” to alleviate their pressure arising from expenditures during removal and adaptation to the new living environment (such as children’s school transfer, moving/purchasing furniture and electrical appliances, re-establishing community networks, etc.). There is no restriction on the use of the subsidy so as to allow households to meet their own needs in a more flexible manner. The scheme is targeted at households who have moved into transitional housing units on or after June 16, 2023. The households receiving the allowance will have to stay in the unit for at least one year, and will not be granted the allowance for a second time thereafter.
      
     The spokesperson of the HB said, “The HB noticed that many of the households moving into transitional housing are low-income grassroots people who may not be able to afford the relocation expenses. Therefore, the HB successfully applied to the Commission on Poverty on June 16 this year for a funding of $85.2 million from the Community Care Fund to support the two-year “Trial Scheme”, with a view to providing the households with timely support and encouragement. It is estimated to benefit as many as 35 000 people.”
      
     The amount of disbursement depends on the number of family members living together in the household and the region of ​​the project they are moving into.  The amount of disbursable allowances is listed in the table below:
 

  Region of the Transitional Housing Project
Urban and
Extended Urban
New Territories and Islands
Household Size Special Allowance Amount ($)
1-person 1,800 3,650
2-person 2,700 5,450
3-person 3,550 7,100
4-person 4,200 8,450
5-person 4,850 9,700
6-person or above 5,750 11,550

     The households can submit an application for the allowance to the operating organisations when completing the procedures in taking up the allocated transitional housing unit. The operating organisations will disburse the allowance within 20 working days after receiving the application. If the applicant approved for the allowance has not yet moved into the project at that time, it will be disbursed within 10 working days after formally moving in.
      
     Application forms and details will be available from the operating organisations of transitional housing projects or can be downloaded from the website of the HB (www.hb.gov.hk/eng/policy/housing/policy/transitional/index.html) starting from tomorrow. For enquiries, please call the Task Force on Transitional Housing under HB at 3579 5549.

Hong Kong – Development Bureau imposes regulating actions on contractor involved in fatal work accident at North Kwai Chung Tang Shiu Kin Sports Centre

Development Bureau imposes regulating actions on contractor involved in fatal work accident at North Kwai Chung Tang Shiu Kin Sports Centre

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     A spokesman for the Development Bureau (DEVB) said today (August 9) that the Government attached great importance to construction safety. In response to the fatal work accident at North Kwai Chung Tang Shiu Kin Sports Centre on August 7, the DEVB has suspended the contractor concerned from tendering for public works contracts pursuant to the regulating regime.

     The spokesman said that the contractor concerned was under the List of Approved Contractors for Public Works and the List of Approved Suppliers of Materials and Specialist Contractors for Public Works of the DEVB. The DEVB issued a notification to the contractor concerned last night (August 8) to suspend it from tendering for the relevant category of public works contracts with immediate effect. The contractor concerned has to conduct an independent safety audit to review its safety management system. Taking cognisance of the outcome of the independent safety audit, the contractor is required to submit an improvement action plan and implement improvement measures, with a view to demonstrating that it has an effective safety management system before uplifting of the suspension from tendering can be considered. The suspension from tendering is not only confined to future tender exercises, but is also applicable to tender exercises with procedures initiated but not concluded.

     The DEVB may impose further regulating actions on the contractor concerned afterwards, subject to the investigation findings of the fatal work accident.

Hong Kong – Health Bureau responses to chronic disease care services provided for socially disadvantaged groups and Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme

Health Bureau responses to chronic disease care services provided for socially disadvantaged groups and Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme

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     Regarding a media report on the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme (CDCC Scheme) published today (July 17), the Health Bureau (HHB) reiterated that the CDCC Scheme targets citizens aged 45 or above who are not aware of having hypertension, diabetes mellitus or related symptoms. By providing subsidy to cover part of the costs as an incentive, the Government aims to encourage citizens to receive early screening in order to get better understanding of their own health status, so as to achieve the objectives of preventing diseases before occurrence, and managing diseases at an early stage.

     The HHB is concerned about the media report that an elderly person who was hospitalised twice for high blood pressure but had not continued her medical treatment and follow-up consultation at a General Out-patient Clinic (GOPC). As the patient already had a medical history of hypertension and had received appropriate treatment during her two stays in hospitals, she would not be a target participant of the screening service provided under the CDCC Scheme. The media concerned did not consult the HHB about this case beforehand. By the sketchy information provided in the report, the HHB is unable to verify the information and extend assistance to this particular elderly person so that she can receive proper medical follow-up as early as possible. The media report may be misleading and may give rise to public misunderstanding about chronic disease treatment and the CDCC Scheme.

     The CDCC Scheme is the first significant project launched under the Primary Healthcare Blueprint, with a view to preventing worsening of chronic disease and occurrence of complication through early identification and early treatment. It concerns the wellbeing of the general public and the sustainability of the healthcare system. The HHB strives to explain the CDCC Scheme to stakeholders and members of the public, and listen to the views of all parties. At the same time, the Government expects that the media would actively disseminate correct messages and reflect views accurately by adhering to the principles of meticulousness, accuracy and impartiality when reporting on subjects of close relevance to the health of the members of the public.

     All Hong Kong residents aged 45 or above can join the CDCC Scheme. To encourage citizens to take up primary responsibility for managing their own health, the CDCC Scheme adopts a Government-participant co-payment model. Apart from the Government’s subsidies, participating citizens are also required to bear partial costs as a way to shoulder the responsibility for their own health. The tentative levels of the Government’s subsidies and participants’ co-payments are stated at Annex.

     The HHB reiterated that the public healthcare system would continue to be the basic safety net for grassroots, in particular the socially disadvantaged groups. Persons with financial difficulties (including recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance and Old Age Living Allowance) will continue to enjoy the protection of the safety net under the public healthcare system comprising services provided by parties such as the Hospital Authority (HA) and the Department of Health. The introduction of the CDCC Scheme will not affect the appropriate healthcare services provided for the grassroots citizens under the public healthcare system.

     Enhancing primary healthcare services will help alleviate the pressure on the secondary and tertiary healthcare services in the long run. In fact, a crucial factor leading to the growing pressure on public healthcare services is the imbalance between primary healthcare services and the secondary and tertiary healthcare services. Cross-specialties collaboration and public-private partnership have yet to attain their desired level of efficiency while quite a number of non-urgent cases of relative stable condition have not been effectively triaged back to primary healthcare or family doctors for more efficient, suitable and effective follow-up.

     While introducing the CDCC Scheme, the Government will gradually reposition the service of HA’s GOPCs with a view to optimising the use of public resources. According to the recommendations set out in the Primary Healthcare Blueprint, the HA’s GOPCs should prioritise to serve the socially disadvantaged groups, in particular low-income families and poor elderly. Through the CDCC Scheme, citizens with better financial capability can be triaged to family doctors in the private healthcare sector for health management, thereby alleviating the pressure on the public healthcare system and sparing its capacity to better serve citizens with financial needs. This will include exploring the inclusion of appropriate chronic disease screening and management services to the priority groups of socially disadvantaged groups in accordance with the clinical protocol and pathway of the CDCC Scheme after the repositioning of GOPC service.