Chief Executive Carrie Lam today visited Tuen Mun Hospital to learn about various measures the Hospital Authority has put in place during the winter surge of influenza and extended New Year greetings to healthcare workers and patients.

Accompanied by Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan, Mrs Lam visited the Accident & Emergency Department, the Medicine & Geriatrics ward and the Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine ward.

She was briefed by healthcare workers on the operations of the A&E Department and the wards, including the waiting time of patients and that for in-patient admission, manpower deployment and measures implemented in response to the surge in demand for services.

She also chatted with patients to understand their situation and listened to their views.

Mrs Lam thanked the healthcare staff for their professional service.

"I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to frontline healthcare workers for their dedication and professionalism in providing quality service to patients, safeguarding people's health.”

Noting she announced in January last year the allocation of an additional fund of $500 million for the authority to implement relief measures in response to the upsurge in service demand in the last winter, Mrs Lam said some of the effective measures have continued to be implemented before the arrival of the winter influenza season this year.

The Government has adopted a wide range of measures to enhance the seasonal influenza vaccination uptake rate, including the implementation of a pilot programme to roll out free outreach seasonal influenza vaccination services for primary students at schools, an increase in the subsidy under the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme and the expansion of eligible groups to cover people aged between 50 and 64.

Mrs Lam said with these initiatives, as of December 23 last year, more than 960,000 doses of influenza vaccine have been administered, up 56% compared with the same period the year before.

“I also received a vaccination earlier. I appeal to members of the public to receive the vaccination as early as possible to protect themselves and the others, reducing the risk of hospitalisation."

She said the Food & Health Bureau will closely monitor the situation to ensure robust public healthcare services are in place.

Mrs Lam also said quality and reliable healthcare services are the rightful aspiration of members of the public, adding in her Policy Address she announced the Government will continue to improve the healthcare system and services.