Dentists participating in primary healthcare programmes must be enlisted in Primary Care Directory and join eHealth from January 2, 2025
The Health Bureau (HHB) today (December 30) encouraged dentists who wish to participate in government-subsidised primary healthcare programmes to enlist in the Primary Care Directory (PCD) and join eHealth as soon as possible to provide their patients with subsidised services under the relevant programmes.
To further implement the policy direction set out in the Primary Healthcare Blueprint and enhance the quality of services, starting from January 2, 2025, dentists participating in government-subsidised primary healthcare programmes such as the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme (EHVS) and the Primary Dental Co-care Pilot Scheme for Adolescents, to be launched in the first quarter of 2025, must have been enlisted in the PCD. Moreover, from the same day onwards, all dentists enlisted in the PCD must also join eHealth.
A two-month grace period up to February 28, 2025, will be put in place for the implementation of the new requirements. Those dentists currently participating in the EHVS but are yet to be enlisted in the PCD by the end of the two-month grace period will no longer be able to offer their patients subsidised services under the scheme. Members of the public are advised to enquire with their dentists or check online to confirm if their dentists have been enlisted in the PCD to ensure that they can continue to receive relevant subsidised services through the same dentist in the future.
As recommended in the Blueprint, all healthcare professionals providing primary healthcare services are required to be enlisted in the PCD to ensure that they receive continuing medical education or take part in continuing professional development programmes relevant to their disciplines, thus enhancing the quality assurance of primary healthcare services. At present, the relevant requirement is applicable to doctors participating in government-subsidised primary healthcare programmes, and will be extended to cover dentists starting from January 2, 2025. In addition, the Blueprint also recommended that all primary healthcare service providers must use eHealth to improve data connectivity and health surveillance, and facilitate care co-ordination and cross-sector collaboration, with a view to strengthening the quality and continuity of medical services. To this end, under the new requirement, all dentists enlisted in the PCD must join eHealth to implement the recommendation of the Blueprint.
To minimise the impact on the citizens enjoying the subsidised services concerned, the HHB has been keeping close communication with the dental profession through different channels since June this year to enable them to get a grasp of the new requirement details in a timely manner and assist them in enlisting in the PCD and/or joining eHealth as necessary. A two-month grace period will also be provided to allow sufficient time for dentists to complete the enlistment procedures.
Members of the public may visit the website of the PCD at apps.pcdirectory.gov.hk/public/EN to check whether their dentists are enlisted, apart from approaching their dentists directly.
The PCD is a web-based database of practice information and professional qualifications of primary healthcare service providers in the community. It enables members of the public to look for service providers' information such as their practice addresses, telephone numbers, consultation hours, service provisions as well as their participation in various government-subsidised programmes before choosing a doctor, dentist or Chinese medicine practitioner according to their personal needs.
As at the end of November this year, a total of 1 049 dentists were enlisted in the PCD. The Government encourages all dentists who provide primary healthcare services to enlist in the PCD to offer citizens co-ordinated and person-centred primary healthcare services in a comprehensive and continuous manner.
DH urges people to get vaccinated as flu season approaches
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (January 2) said that the local seasonal influenza activity has continued to rise over the past week. As the weather gets colder, the seasonal influenza activity is expected to increase further and may exceed the threshold levels in the next one to two weeks, indicating that Hong Kong is about to enter the influenza season. To protect their health and that of their family members, all persons aged 6 months and above (except those with known contraindications) who have not yet received the seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) should act immediately. High-risk groups should also get vaccinated against COVID-19 concurrently to minimise the risk of serious complications and death after infection.
"The latest surveillance data (as of the week ending December 28, 2024) showed that the positive percentage of influenza detections among respiratory specimens in the past two weeks increased from 1.35 per cent to 3.5 per cent, while the admission rate of patients diagnosed with influenza in public hospitals increased from 0.08 to 0.23 cases per 10 000 population, representing a significant increase in both indicators," a spokesman for the CHP said.
Based on the statistical methodology recommended by the World Health Organization, the CHP sets threshold levels for the above two important influenza indicators to determine whether Hong Kong enters an influenza season. The threshold levels were 4.94 per cent and 0.27 cases per 10 000 population respectively. Both figures exceeding the threshold levels indicate that Hong Kong has entered the influenza season.
"Based on the latest surveillance data, past epidemiological analysis and other factors such as weather, the CHP anticipated that Hong Kong may enter the influenza season in the next one to two weeks. All sectors of the community should heighten their vigilance and step up personal protection measures. Influenza vaccination has been scientifically proven to be one of the most effective ways to prevent seasonal influenza and its complications, while significantly reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death from seasonal influenza. Therefore, members of the public, particularly children, the elderly and chronic disease patients, should receive SIV as soon as possible. Strict personal, hand and environmental hygiene should also be observed at all times. People with respiratory symptoms, even if mild, should wear surgical masks and seek medical advice promptly, and should not go to work or school to minimise the risk of disease transmission," the spokesperson said.
As there has been a significant increase in influenza activities in Europe, North America and some parts of Asia (including the Mainland, Japan and Korea), the CHP also reminds those who plan to travel during the Lunar New Year holidays to get vaccinated against influenza as early as possible, pay attention to the influenza situation at their destinations and take appropriate personal protective measures before travelling.
"According to further analysis of the relationship between SIV and 31 cases of severe paediatric influenza-associated complications and deaths recorded during the influenza season from January to July in 2024, the CHP found that the rate of children aged between 6 months and 17 years, who had not received the SIV of that season and subsequently contracted influenza with severe complications or deaths, was about 3.2 times that of the vaccinated children. The protective effect is more pronounced in younger children; for example, in the 2- to 5-year-old age group, the relevant rate among unvaccinated children was about 6.4 times that of vaccinated children. Based on this, SIV is one of the most effective means to prevent seasonal influenza and its complications," the spokesperson said.
The Government has long been encouraging the public to receive vaccinations early, and providing free and subsidised SIV to eligible children, the elderly and other target groups through various Government vaccination programmes. The response has been encouraging. As of December 29, 2024, a total of about 1 806 000 doses of seasonal influenza vaccines have been administered under various SIV programmes, an increase of about 5.3 per cent over the same period in 2023. Among them, the number of schools participating in the SIV School Outreach Programme has significantly increased. So far, about 960 kindergartens and child care centres (91 per cent), 630 primary schools (96 per cent) and 470 secondary schools (94 per cent) have participated in SIV school outreach activities, which is higher than last year's rate (about 80 per cent for kindergartens and child care centres, 95 per cent for primary schools and 70 per cent for secondary schools participated last year). The increase in secondary schools is particularly obvious.
As of December 29, 2024, the SIV coverage rate for children aged 6 months to under 2 years was at a low level of about 16.9 per cent, which was slightly higher than that of the same period last year but still lower than that of other age groups of children. To enhance vaccination services for children aged 6 months to under 2 years and to boost the vaccination rate, the Government has opened the DH's Maternal & Child Health Centres (MCHCs) to all children aged 6 months to under 2 years to facilitate children's access to vaccinations as far as possible. Parents may book an appointment for their children to receive vaccinations at designated MCHCs via the online booking system.
In addition, as patients contracting both influenza and COVID-19 are more likely to develop serious complications and die, the CHP strongly urges those who have not received the initial dose of COVID-19 vaccine, especially young children over 6 months and elderly people, to receive an initial dose as soon as possible. Those high-risk groups should, in a timely manner, receive an additional booster dose six months after the last dose or COVID-19 infection (whichever is later), regardless of the number of doses received previously. All eligible persons can make appointments through the Government'sonline booking platformto receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
The CHP will continue to closely monitor the situation of seasonal influenza both locally and overseas. For the latest information, members of the public can visit the CHP'sseasonal influenzaandCOVID-19 & Flu Expresswebpages. Details of the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme can also be found on the CHP'sthematic website.
