HA Chairman Welcomes Healthcare Measures in 2024 Policy Address to Enhance Public Services and Patient Support

Hospital Authority welcomes "The Chief Executive's 2024 Policy Address"

The Hospital Authority (HA) Chairman, Mr Henry Fan, welcomed the healthcare service-related measures included in "The Chief Executive's 2024 Policy Address" delivered by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (October 16). It is believed that the measures will facilitate the HA in enhancing the quality of public healthcare services and sustainable development to improve support to patients.

The HA will dovetail with the Government's policies and development directions, and continue to enhance the capacity and quality of public healthcare services in order to cope with the demand. The HA will continue to enhance the triage system and referral arrangements of the Specialist Out-Patients Clinics (SOPC), so that patients with acute needs could receive services in a timely manner and patients with mild and stable conditions may also receive appropriate follow-up. The waiting time of the SOPC could be shortened by avoiding unnecessary referrals. The HA will also provide additional capacity for cataract surgeries to actively arrange surgeries for patients.

Mr Fan said, "The HA welcomes the Government's initiatives to promote community pharmacies. By strengthening the procurement of drugs and medical devices, the introduction of new drugs to the Drug Formulary will be expedited. The rationalisation and centralisation of procurement will also accelerate the cost-effectiveness standards and guarantee the optimised use of healthcare resources. The HA will also integrate paediatric services in order to make the best use of the Hong Kong Children's Hospital to fu¬lfil its function as the Centre of Excellence in Paediatrics, thereby enhancing the quality of paediatric care in Hong Kong and providing a platform conducive to research development and professional training. The paediatric services will also be expanded, including an increase in the scope of newborn screening and treatment for neurosurgical diseases, to increase the quality of the services.

Also, with the stringent support from the Government, the HA will continue to enhance healthcare services in public hospitals. In accordance with the national accreditation standard, the development of the second chest pain centre at Prince of Wales Hospital and the building of the first stroke centre will boost diagnostic efficiency, outcomes and patient survival rates, while the breastmilk bank to be set up at Hong Kong Children's Hospital will provide breastmilk for preterm and critically ill infants.

The HA is fully committed to driving forward a wide range of development projects under the First Hospital Development Plan. The HA is finalising the Second Hospital Development Plan to dovetail with the upcoming territorial development (including the Northern Metropolis and the latest developments in other New Development Areas), the Government population census, population distribution projection and the necessary land supply. The HA will continue to augment the service capacity of public hospitals as well as renewing its facilities in order to meet the service demand.

Mr Fan expressed heartfelt appreciation for the Government's support for the public healthcare services. The HA will strive to implement the initiatives for the benefit of patients.

Women's Commission welcomes "The Chief Executive's 2024 Policy Address"

The following is issued on behalf of the Women's Commission:

The Women's Commission (WoC) welcomes the initiatives on promoting women's development in "The Chief Executive's 2024 Policy Address" delivered by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (October 16).

The Chief Executive announced in the Policy Address that the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) will establish a network run by leading women from all walks of life and launch a mentorship programme, "She Inspires". Under the programme, female university students will be paired with mentors from the senior management of different sectors, and will be provided with relevant training and activities.

​The Chairman of the WoC, Dr Eliza Chan, said, "The WoC is committed to enable Hong Kong women to have more opportunities to showcase their talent and promote the advancement of their careers. Hong Kong women have excelled across various sectors and demonstrated exceptional professionalism and leadership, while young people play an important role in shaping the future of our country and Hong Kong. I am very delighted to learn the launch of the mentorship programme 'She Inspires' by the Government to equip Hong Kong female university students with the strength to 'hold up half the sky'. I hope that with the support of the Government, we could work together with outstanding women leaders across various sectors and unleash the power of women, thereby contributing to the development and advancement of women."

It is also mentioned in "The Chief Executive's 2024 Policy Address Supplement" that the HYAB will continue to put forward several women-related projects, including continuing to organise the Family and Women Development Summit, keeping the one-stop family and women information portal under review and enriching its content, continuing to encourage women's groups and non-governmental organisations to make good use of the Women Empowerment Fund, and continuing to implement, through the Community Care Fund, the Maintenance Mediation Pilot Scheme.

The WoC was established in 2001 and is committed to enable women in Hong Kong to fully realise their due status, rights and opportunities in all aspects of life. It adopts a three-pronged strategy, namely the provision of an enabling environment, empowerment of women through capacity building and public education to promote the well-being and interests of women.