New Members Appointed to Hospital Authority, Six Current Members Reappointed

Government appoints members to Hospital Authority

The Government announced today (October 25) the appointment of two new members to the Hospital Authority (HA) and the reappointment of six serving members.

The two new members, Ms Tennessy Hui Mei-sheung and Professor Janet Wong Yuen-ha, will be appointed for a period of two years from December 1, 2024, to November 30, 2026.

Ms Hui is a practising solicitor in Hong Kong. She is the Chairperson of the Liquor Licensing Board, a member of the Council of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and a member of the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority Council.

Professor Wong is the Dean and Professor of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences of the Hong Kong Metropolitan University. She is also a member of the Hospital Governing Committee of North Lantau Hospital and a member of the Education Committee of the Nursing Council of Hong Kong.

Among the serving members reappointed, Professor David Shum Ho-keung continues to serve as an HA member in his capacity of the Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University for a period of two years from November 1, 2024, to October 31, 2026. The other five serving members, namely Ms Anita Fung Yuen-mei, Mrs Sylvia Lam Yu ka-wai, Mr Henry Tong Sau-chai, Mr Anthony Tsang Hin-fun and Dr Thomas Tsang Ho-fai, will be reappointed for a period of two years from December 1, 2024, to November 30, 2026.

The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, welcomed the two new members to the HA. He also expressed gratitude to the six serving members reappointed and extended heartfelt thanks to the outgoing members, Mr Ambrose Ho and Professor Agnes Tiwari Fung-yee, for their invaluable contribution to the HA.

The HA comprises a Chairman, 23 non-official members, three public officers and one principal officer from the HA. The membership list to be effective from December 1, 2024, is as follows:

Chairman:

Mr Henry Fan Hung-ling

Non-official Members:

Mr Lawrence Chan Man-yiu

Professor Chan Wai-yee

Mr Chan Wing-kai

Ms Margaret Cheng Wai-ching

Mr Duncan Chiu

Professor Philip Chiu Wai-yan

Ms Anita Fung Yuen-mei

Ms Maisy Ho Chiu-ha

Ms Mary Huen Wai-yi

Mr Jat Sew-tong

Mr Matthew Kwok Pui-ho

Mrs Sylvia Lam Yu ka-wai

Professor Lau Chak-sing

Ms Tennessy Hui Mei-sheung

Professor David Shum Ho-keung

Mr Henry Tong Sau-chai

Mr Philip Tsai Wing-chung

Mr Anthony Tsang Hin-fun

Dr Thomas Tsang Ho-fai

Mr Wan Man-yee

Mr Billy Wong Wing-hoo

Professor Janet Wong Yuen-ha

Professor Zhang Zhang-jin

Public Officers:

Permanent Secretary for Health, Mr Thomas Chan

Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam

Deputy Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Treasury) Ms Ann Chan

HA Principal Officer:

Chief Executive of the HA, Dr Tony Ko

Sample taken from wild pig tests positive for ASF virus

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) today (November 22) announced that a sample taken from a wild pig tested positive for the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus.

The AFCD mounted a wild pig capture and dispatch operation yesterday (November 21) at Fung Yuen Road, Tai Po. Samples were collected from the four wild pigs captured for testing under the surveillance programme for ASF. A sample collected from one wild pig tested positive for the ASF virus. The AFCD will report the findings to the World Organisation for Animal Health and maintain surveillance in the wild pig population.

There is no pig farm located within 3 kilometres of Fung Yuen Road. At the moment, no pig farms are found affected by this case. All local pig farmers will be notified of the case and advised to enhance farm biosecurity to prevent intrusion of wild pigs and introduction of the ASF virus into their farms. The AFCD has been closely monitoring the health condition of pigs on all local pig farms. Local pig farmers are also reminded to notify the AFCD if their pigs show any health issues.

An AFCD spokesman said, "ASF is a highly contagious disease affecting domestic and wild pigs. However, it is not a zoonotic disease and does not infect humans and hence does not cause any food safety risk. Well-cooked pork is safe for consumption. The case will not affect the supply of live pigs to the local market."

The spokesman stressed that for personal safety and prevention of foods contaminated with the ASF virus to be introduced to wild pigs, members of the public should keep away from them. Do not feed any wild animals, including wild pigs, and ensure that outdoor garbage is disposed of properly. If any dead wild pig is found, please report via 1823.

With a view to strengthening the surveillance of ASF on local wild pigs, the AFCD has been working with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) on a surveillance programme for ASF since late 2019. This has involved testing of the ASF virus in wild pig carcasses reported by the FEHD. The programme includes the New Territories and Kowloon. Other areas found with a large number of wild pig deaths are also included. To enable early detection, samples collected from wild pigs captured by the AFCD are also tested for the ASF virus.