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HEALTHJul 22Hong Kong’s Chinese medicine hospital to launch stroke, back pain programmes next weekThe Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong is set to launch two strategic treatment programmes for stroke and lower back pain next week, with bookings opening on Wednesday. Bian Zhaoxiang, the hospital’s chief executive, told reporters on Wednesday that the two treatments were part of 23 special disease programmes to be rolled out over five years as part of the institution’s strategic development plan to meet healthcare needs and promote the competitive advantages of traditional Chinese medicine...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJul 19‘They only eat to sustain life’: how does isolation shape Hong Kong’s elderly diets?In the second of a five-part Health Matters wellness series on ageing in Hong Kong, Lo Hoi-ying examines rising social isolation among the elderly, its serious health risks and how activities and community support are helping seniors stay socially engaged. For Lee Chor-kwan, an 89-year-old living alone in Hong Kong, mealtimes are often lonely. But the highlight of his day is lunchtime, when he visits an elderly care home to eat with his 86-year-old wife, whom he met through an arranged marriage...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJul 17Some workers seek to quit smoking as ban on Hong Kong construction sites kicks inSome Hong Kong workers have said they intend to quit smoking as a new ban on smoking at construction sites came into force on Friday. The ban came in the wake of the deadly fire at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court housing estate, a disaster that killed 168 people last November and was suspected to have been caused by workers smoking while carrying out renovations. Under the legal amendments, an individual caught smoking at a construction site faces a fixed penalty of HK$3,000 (US$380) for individual...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJul 14Baby Rufus in urgent need of heart donation, Hong Kong health authorities sayHong Kong health authorities have made an urgent appeal for a heart transplant for a six-month-old boy in a critical condition, saying the Hospital Authority will also seek assistance from mainland China soon. An authority spokesman said on Tuesday evening that six-month-old Rufus, who suffers from dilated cardiomyopathy and is in the paediatric intensive care unit at Hong Kong Children’s Hospital, urgently needed a heart transplant. “Given the critical condition of the patient, in addition to...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJul 12How can Hong Kong age well?South China Morning Post
HEALTHJul 12‘I’m lonely’: why are 50% of Hong Kong’s elderly socially isolated – and what can help?In the first of a five-part Health Matters wellness series on ageing in Hong Kong, Fiona Sun examines rising social isolation among the elderly, its serious health risks and how activities and community support are helping seniors stay socially engaged. Chow Kam-shim, 92, and her husband Lau Moon-wing, 100, still face off against opponents every day on the boccia court at their residential home for the elderly in Hong Kong’s Po Lam. Focused and steady, the couple send coloured leather balls...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJul 12Youth suicides in Hong Kong hit 10-year high: court reportYouth suicide cases confirmed by Hong Kong Coroner’s Court reached a decade-high last year, despite a 10 per cent overall decline across the population to 1,019. According to the annual coroners’ report published last month, suicide cases confirmed by the court declined across almost all age groups, except for those aged between 10 and 19. Last year, 46 adolescents aged 10 to 19 were reported to have taken their own lives, up from 34 cases in the previous year and reaching a decade high. Most of...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJul 11How Hong Kong can lead in longevity medicine as silver economy growsA profound demographic and economic shift is sweeping through Asia, quietly rewriting the rules of national development. The traditional paradigm of treating population ageing as a passive fiscal burden is being dismantled as Beijing makes the “silver economy” and proactive ageing strategies the pillars of national security and economic growth. China’s population aged 60 and above reached 320 million last year, accounting for 23 per cent of its citizenry. This is projected to climb to 400...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJul 9Parent company of Hong Kong IVF clinic says sorry for embryo specimen mix-upThe parent group of a Hong Kong fertility clinic involved in a rare mix-up of embryo biopsy specimens has apologised for the incident, pledging to cooperate with the authorities’ investigation and provide support to affected patients. New Frontier Group, the parent company of Heal Fertility in Central, broke its silence two days after the in vitro fertilisation (IVF) saga came to light, saying in a statement on Thursday that it had launched a comprehensive internal review. The assisted...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJul 8Hong Kong records surge in disciplinary cases among intern and resident doctorsThe number of disciplinary cases involving intern and resident doctors in Hong Kong’s public hospitals has nearly tripled over four years, with lawmakers calling for stronger safeguards to uphold professional standards. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau revealed on Wednesday that the Hospital Authority recorded 35 disciplinary cases involving intern and resident doctors for poor performance or breaches of professional conduct during 2025-26. The figure rose from 23 recorded in 2024-25, 20 in...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJul 8Embryo specimen mix-up: what happened and how is IVF regulated in Hong Kong?A rare mix-up involving embryo biopsy specimens at Heal Fertility, a privately-run reproduction clinic in Hong Kong linked to former financial secretary Antony Leung Kam-chung, has prompted investigations by health authorities and police The South China Morning Post looks into fertility treatments in the city and how they are regulated. 1. What is in vitro fertilisation? In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a fertility treatment offered to couples struggling to conceive naturally. A woman receiving...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJul 7Hong Kong IVF clinic ordered to suspend most services after embryo sample errorsHong Kong’s regulator for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) has ordered a fertility clinic to partially halt operations after it mishandled embryo biopsy specimens from two patients and failed to report the incident to health authorities. The Council on Human Reproductive Technology said on Tuesday that it had suspended most operations at HEAL Fertility in Central after discovering that embryo biopsy specimens the clinic sent for pre-implantation genetic testing belonged to the wrong parents. The...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJul 6Hong Kong doctor issued over 3,700 fraudulent Covid vaccine exemptions, court hearsA Hong Kong doctor fraudulently issued more than 3,700 Covid-19 vaccination exemption certificates over seven months during the pandemic, allowing some residents to avoid inoculation on the grounds of skin allergies, chest pain and other conditions, a court has heard. Dr Tai Kong-shing, 80, stood trial at the District Court on Monday over allegations that he generated the certificates en masse for personal gain. Prosecutors said the Western medical practitioner failed to make a proper diagnosis...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJul 5Can you get cancer? Hong Kong doctors say it takes more than 1 mistakeIn the final instalment of a six-part Health Matters wellness series on cancer in Hong Kong, Anthea Rowan explores how genetics, lifestyle and chance intersect in cancer risk and why early detection matters. Tom Hutchins did not find a lump. What he noticed instead – a tiny, almost imperceptible dot – was enough to change his life. The Hong Kong-based business director, who has lived in the city for a decade, was just 30 when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He first spotted something...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJul 5Nearly 60% of Hong Kong parents mistake deadly disease for a cold, survey findsNearly 60 per cent of Hong Kong parents mistakenly believe that invasive meningococcal disease is no different from a common cold, a survey has found, prompting doctors to urge greater public awareness of the potentially fatal infection ahead of the summer travel season. The warning follows a survey by the Hong Kong Early Childhood Educators Association of 300 parents and teachers. Parents scored an average of 3.84 out of 10 on their knowledge of the disease, compared with 4.8 for teachers. The...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJul 4Hong Kong’s third medical school hires 300 teachers, expects to raise intake to 200Hong Kong’s third medical school has recruited about 300 teachers and expects its annual student intake to eventually rise from 50 to more than 200, its dean has revealed. Professor King Li King-chuen, founding dean of medicine at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, also said on Saturday that the medical school had identified a teaching hospital for internships and clinical training, with details expected to be announced within weeks. Li, who assumed the role at the new medical...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJul 3‘I’m so scared’: parents of dying Hong Kong girl, 13, pray for organ ‘miracle’This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The parents of a 13-year-old Hong Kong girl critically in need of a new heart and lungs have appealed to the public in hopes of a “miracle”, with the girl fearing she “won’t be able to go home”. In a letter published on Friday, Ching Ching’s parents called on families who have recently lost loved ones to consider donating the needed organs to their daughter,...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJul 3Hong Kong moves antenatal care to public hospitals in reform pushExpectant mothers in Hong Kong requiring government antenatal services will only need to visit public hospitals, rather than maternal and child health centres, under a change taking effect on Monday. Health authorities announced on Friday that antenatal services currently provided by maternal and child health centres, managed by the Department of Health, will be transferred to public hospitals under the Hospital Authority. “After the service integration, the obstetrics department of the Hospital...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJul 3Suicide risk and the danger of Hong Kong’s children not feeling lovedThe latest child suicide figures from the Education Bureau make for grim reading. For three academic years in a row, suspected suicide cases among primary and secondary school students have remained stubbornly high – 32 in 2023, 28 in 2024, and 31 in 2025. Despite a deluge of government resources, the three-tier emergency mechanism in secondary schools and public awareness campaigns, these numbers refuse to budge. We must ask ourselves a difficult question: why are we failing our children? Of...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJul 2Hong Kong enters summer flu season as Covid infections also climbHong Kong health authorities have called on the public to stay vigilant as the city has entered the summer flu season, with Covid-19 cases also on the rise. Dr Albert Au Ka-wing, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said on Thursday that surveillance data suggested flu cases rose significantly last week, signalling the beginning of the seasonal infection period. He noted that it was difficult to predict how long the season would last, as the city generally...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJun 28‘I see hope’: how mindset shifts help Hong Kong cancer patients cope with diagnosisIn the fifth instalment of a six-part Health Matters wellness series on cancer in Hong Kong, Elizabeth Cheung looks at the hidden psychological burden patients face and how support programmes are reshaping treatment. The battle with multiple cancers since the summer of 2024 has taken a mental toll far beyond what Sasa Hui Yuen-sim felt she could manage. The 67-year-old retiree was first diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2024, followed by lung cancer the following year. Between the two...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJun 28Widen mental health support for Hong Kong youth beyond high-risk cases, adviser urgesHong Kong should broaden mental health support beyond high-risk students amid the growing impact of social media on young people, a government adviser has urged, as a prominent tycoon pledged to empower more young philanthropists to tackle the problem. Children who had not shown any of the usual signs of intense difficulty at home or school were taking their own lives, according to Dr Lam Ching-choi, a member of the city’s key decision-making Executive Council and the chairman of the Advisory...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJun 26Hong Kong’s own drug regulator pushes ahead with hiring, seeks WHO recognitionAs Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead. Hong Kong is on a global talent hunt for its own drug approval body which is expected to be launched by the fourth quarter of this year as the city bids to achieve its international biomedical hub ambitions, the city’s health minister has revealed. In an exclusive interview with...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJun 22Hong Kong doctor fired over misconduct linked to medical intern caseA doctor at Tuen Mun Hospital has been fired for conducting an unauthorised examination on a patient, in an incident linked to an intern who was sacked and arrested for allegedly accessing patient data without permission. The Hospital Authority (HA) said on Monday evening that its investigation committee concluded that the resident doctor acted dishonestly and committed serious misconduct, in breach of professional ethics and integrity. The resident doctor was involved in conducting an...South China Morning Post
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