https://www.scmp.com/rss/318208/feed News on Hong Kong's public and private health sectors plus the latest medical research. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Advertising partner Advertising partner [The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Vitiligo is often noticed before it is understood. White patches on the skin can draw attention, second glances or subtle avoidance, particularly in public settings. In Hong Kong, where awareness of the condition remains uneven, misunderstanding can influence daily life as much as the condition itself. Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune disorder in which pigment-producing cells are destroyed by immune activity. As a... https://www.scmp.com/presented/news/hong-kong/health-environment/topics/support-vitiligo-patients/article/3350117/when-vitiligo-seen-not-understood?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/news/hong-kong/health-environment/topics/support-vitiligo-patients/article/3350117/when-vitiligo-seen-not-understood?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:00:10 +0000 Fiona Chow Fiona Chow Hong Kong’s labour authorities have expanded heat stress monitoring to include data from 10 sites, enabling faster alerts to better safeguard outdoor workers. Deputy Commissioner for Labour Vincent Fung Hao-yin said on Monday that the department would incorporate data from the Observatory’s newly added monitoring stations at eight sites across the city. The move is intended to provide a more accurate picture of heat stress levels for issuing warnings when outdoor workers should take breaks of at... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349913/hong-kong-expands-heat-stress-monitoring-better-protect-outdoor-workers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349913/hong-kong-expands-heat-stress-monitoring-better-protect-outdoor-workers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:40:34 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing The founder of Hong Kong online shopping platform HKTVmall has broken his silence over a science project involving controversial animal experiments, saying the research he supported was meant to reduce elderly patients’ suffering from illness. Ricky Wong Wai-kay, vice-chairman and group chief executive officer of Hong Kong Technology Venture Company, the platform’s parent company and a listed firm, wrote in a social media post on Saturday that its experiments were intended to improve the quality... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349901/hktvmalls-ricky-wong-says-firms-research-aims-improve-quality-life-elderly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349901/hktvmalls-ricky-wong-says-firms-research-aims-improve-quality-life-elderly?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:07:21 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying A nine-year-old Hong Kong girl has contracted a rare bacterial infection and is fighting for her life in hospital after visiting Japan during the Easter holiday, with health authorities contacting the other tour group members as a precaution. The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said on Friday that the girl, who was in a critical condition in the paediatric intensive care unit of Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung, began showing symptoms of invasive meningococcal infection including... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349708/girl-9-critical-condition-meningococcal-infection-after-holiday-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349708/girl-9-critical-condition-meningococcal-infection-after-holiday-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 16:09:15 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Hong Kong’s largest public hospital will open to patients in phases from October, with the new 2,400-bed facility in Kai Tak set to take over the services of Queen Elizabeth Hospital and become a healthcare hub for Kowloon. The Hospital Authority said on Friday that the first phase of services at Kai Tak Hospital, located on Shing Cheong Road in Kowloon Bay, would start in October. The new facility has a total gross floor area of 500,000 square metres, the largest among the city’s public... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349687/new-kai-tak-hospital-open-2-phases-october?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349687/new-kai-tak-hospital-open-2-phases-october?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:34:03 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Hong Kong’s smoking rate fell to 8.5 per cent last year, missing an ambitious target of 7.8 per cent, but health authorities have hailed the success of the city’s tobacco control strategy, which led to a 30 per cent decline in overall cigarette consumption. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau told a Legislative Council meeting on Friday that the rate – the prevalence of daily cigarette smokers aged 15 and older in the population – had fallen from 9.1 per cent in 2023 to 8.5 per cent last year. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349681/health-chief-hails-tobacco-control-efforts-smoking-rate-falls-85?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349681/health-chief-hails-tobacco-control-efforts-smoking-rate-falls-85?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:30:19 +0000 Danny Mok,Theodora Yu Danny Mok,Theodora Yu Hong Kong food safety authorities have ordered an immediate halt to the sale of oysters from a French brand, after suspected gastroenteritis cases emerged in the Netherlands, which some catering industry operators said weakened consumer confidence and added to the woes of the already struggling sector. The Centre for Food Safety on Wednesday also ordered the trade to suspend imports of raw oysters from the French brand Josephine that were produced and packed between March 5 and 25. Chris Chung,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349442/hong-kong-halts-raw-oyster-sales-french-brand-over-possible-gastroenteritis-link?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349442/hong-kong-halts-raw-oyster-sales-french-brand-over-possible-gastroenteritis-link?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:33:07 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has launched a five-year study into why Chinese people often enjoy long lifespans, and aims to recruit 500 residents aged 90 or older for biomarker analysis using advanced blood testing technologies. HKUST president Professor Nancy Ip Yuk-yu, who is leading the research, said Hong Kong urgently needed to uncover the healthy ageing process as the city had become a “super-ageing society” in 2024 under UN standards, with more than 20 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349375/hkust-launches-5-year-study-long-lifespans-chinese-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349375/hkust-launches-5-year-study-long-lifespans-chinese-people?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 08:41:28 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority has found a doctor breached its code of conduct after he posted a photo of a resuscitation procedure in a public hospital, with the case being passed to the Medical Council. The authority’s Kowloon West group of hospitals announced on Tuesday that it had terminated the doctor’s contract, one day after stating the man was “no longer an employee”. “The Kowloon West Cluster has completed its investigation into the incident. We confirm that the staff member breached... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349301/hong-kong-doctor-axed-posting-resuscitation-photo-faces-medical-council-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349301/hong-kong-doctor-axed-posting-resuscitation-photo-faces-medical-council-case?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:44:31 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Eight-year-old Aidan was terrified at the prospect of having to undergo an operation at the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital in Kowloon Bay in 2024. But his fears eased once he put on a virtual reality (VR) headset. Guided by a panda character, the VR programme gave him knowledge of what to expect. It allowed him to walk down the corridor and explore the operating theatre, pick the colours of medical staff’s gowns and choose how he wanted to be anaesthetised – down to the flavour of sleep-inducing... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349175/hong-kong-hospital-uses-vr-tour-ease-childrens-fears-ahead-operations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349175/hong-kong-hospital-uses-vr-tour-ease-childrens-fears-ahead-operations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 23:30:07 +0000 Denise Tsang Denise Tsang This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong issued an amber rainstorm warning on Sunday afternoon in response to intense thundery showers influenced by a trough of low pressure, coinciding with the city’s marking of the Ching Ming Festival. The Observatory said in the morning that a band of intense thundery showers over the seas south of the city had been gradually edging closer to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349058/observatory-warns-thundery-showers-amid-ching-ming-festival-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349058/observatory-warns-thundery-showers-amid-ching-ming-festival-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 02:53:44 +0000 Edith Lin,Leopold Chen Edith Lin,Leopold Chen This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hongkongers can expect more showers with some thunderstorms on Sunday, the weather forecaster has said, after widespread downpours on Saturday triggered an amber warning and left some hikers requiring rescue. The Hong Kong Observatory issued the amber rainstorm warning, the lowest in a three-tier system, at 11am. Rain was particularly heavy in Tai Po... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349017/amber-rainstorm-warning-hong-kong-thunderstorms-expected-over-weekend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349017/amber-rainstorm-warning-hong-kong-thunderstorms-expected-over-weekend?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 04:17:42 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Hong Kong International Airport has opened a sensory corner to ease travel stress for passengers with invisible disabilities, ranging from autism to dementia. Major airports around the world, including Singapore Changi and London Heathrow, have introduced sensory rooms or quiet zones for neurodivergent travellers in recent years, as part of a wider effort to enhance inclusivity. Chris Au Young, the Airport Authority’s general manager of terminal and passenger experience, said the 30 square metre... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348952/hong-kong-airport-opens-sensory-space-passengers-invisible-disabilities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348952/hong-kong-airport-opens-sensory-space-passengers-invisible-disabilities?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 00:30:09 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Hong Kong pet owners have called for environmental authorities to place rat poison in boxes instead of hanging them in transparent bags, with one owner saying his dog had to visit the veterinarian three times in recent months after accidentally consuming pellets that spilled from broken bags onto the pavement. In response to queries by the South China Morning Post, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said rodenticides were used “only when warranted”, and had adjusted the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348934/rats-versus-pets-hong-kong-dog-owners-want-rodent-poison-boxes-not-bags?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348934/rats-versus-pets-hong-kong-dog-owners-want-rodent-poison-boxes-not-bags?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:00:13 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung Hong Kong is committed to helping mainland China’s medical and health standards “go global”, with a local minister hailing the city’s first time hosting a national medical conference as an event of “great significance”. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau also said Hong Kong was striving to meet the mainland’s certification requirements for a local stroke centre, following the accreditation of a heart disease treatment facility under national standards last year. Lo officiated at the opening of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348963/hong-kong-committed-helping-mainland-chinas-health-standards-go-global?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348963/hong-kong-committed-helping-mainland-chinas-health-standards-go-global?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:31:23 +0000 Theodora Yu Theodora Yu This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong is expected to be hit by thunderstorms and showers on Saturday, with the weather to remain unsettled for the rest of the Easter holiday, the local forecaster has warned. The Hong Kong Observatory said on Friday that occasional showers – which would be heavier at times – and some fast-moving thunderstorms brought by a trough of low pressure would hit... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348947/hong-kong-set-thunderstorms-and-showers-saturday-observatory-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348947/hong-kong-set-thunderstorms-and-showers-saturday-observatory-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 08:41:41 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren EnerVenue – a rechargeable battery start-up co-founded by Full Vision Capital, the family office of Hong Kong tycoon Peter Lee Ka-kit – has raised US$300 million in its latest round of financing and appointed a new CEO to accelerate the large-scale industrial deployment of its cutting-edge energy storage technology. The California-based company – which also counts government-backed Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC) as an investor – said it would set up a regional headquarters in the city... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3348514/enervenue-plugs-us300-million-scale-next-gen-batteries-it-eyes-hong-kong-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3348514/enervenue-plugs-us300-million-scale-next-gen-batteries-it-eyes-hong-kong-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 07:39:41 +0000 Fiona Chow Fiona Chow Hong Kong labour authorities have ruled out setting up designated smoking areas under a proposed ban on lighting up at construction sites due to “enforcement difficulties”, while pledging to deploy drones with heat sensors to strengthen inspections. Commissioner for Labour Sam Hui Chark-shum also said on Monday that the planned smoking ban – which was proposed in the wake of the deadly Tai Po fire last November – would apply to all areas of construction sites, replacing the existing restrictions... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348427/authorities-rule-out-smoking-areas-construction-sites-under-proposed-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348427/authorities-rule-out-smoking-areas-construction-sites-under-proposed-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 11:55:23 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying An orthopaedist has been issued a public warning letter and reprimanded by Hong Kong’s medical watchdog after performing an unconventional bunion surgery without a patient’s informed consent. The Medical Council on Monday found Dr Daniel Wu Yiang guilty of professional misconduct on four charges after the patient at Hong Kong Adventist Hospital underwent a syndesmosis procedure, a soft-tissue bunion surgery advocated by the doctor, without sufficient information about the operation or any... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348419/orthopaedist-rebuked-over-performing-bunion-surgery-without-informed-consent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348419/orthopaedist-rebuked-over-performing-bunion-surgery-without-informed-consent?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:55:09 +0000 https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/series/3348341/navigating-autism-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/series/3348341/navigating-autism-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 02:41:27 +0000 Olga Wong Olga Wong This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The Hong Kong Observatory has cancelled an amber rainstorm warning in force for an hour as downpours lashed parts of the city. The warning was issued at 10am on Monday and cancelled an hour later. An amber rainstorm warning indicates heavy and persistent rain exceeding 30mm (1.2 inches) an hour falling over Hong Kong. “An area of intense thundery showers is... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348338/hong-kong-observatory-issues-amber-rainstorm-warning-thundery-showers-expected?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348338/hong-kong-observatory-issues-amber-rainstorm-warning-thundery-showers-expected?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 02:24:51 +0000 Theodora Yu Theodora Yu A planned supercomputing hub in Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis could overtake the MTR Corporation rail operator as the city’s single largest electricity consumer, prompting a green group and experts to call for setting energy efficiency standards to limit the sector’s carbon emissions. According to The Green Earth’s estimates, the new project – set to begin operating in 2029 – could increase the industry’s annual carbon emissions by about 70 per cent compared with current levels. Experts have... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348294/northern-metropolis-data-hub-may-surpass-mtr-corp-hong-kongs-top-power-consumer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348294/northern-metropolis-data-hub-may-surpass-mtr-corp-hong-kongs-top-power-consumer?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok A probe has been launched into a serious medical incident in which a six‑year‑old boy’s heart stopped for about 16 minutes at Hong Kong Children’s Hospital after his breathing tube came loose from the ventilator. The hospital on Saturday said it was “deeply concerned” about the case. “The hospital has taken immediate measures to strengthen the monitoring of patients requiring ventilator care in the intensive care unit,” it said in a statement. “A root cause analysis panel will be set up to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348267/boys-heart-stops-16-minutes-after-tube-comes-loose-hong-kong-hospital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348267/boys-heart-stops-16-minutes-after-tube-comes-loose-hong-kong-hospital?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 15:20:24 +0000 Rina Lai Rina Lai For most of my career in developmental and educational psychology, I have been guided by a single question: what do children truly need to flourish in the world they are entering? I don’t mean the world their parents inherited or the one textbooks were designed for, but the one unfolding – volatile, technology-saturated and deeply uncertain. Eight years ago, during my PhD studies at the University of Cambridge, I was certain I was close to finding the answer; I immersed myself in building... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3347072/case-spiritual-wellness-age-anxious-youth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3347072/case-spiritual-wellness-age-anxious-youth?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Hong Kong will experience between four and seven typhoons from June to October, according to the city’s weather forecaster, fewer than half of last year’s record-breaking 14 tropical cyclones. The Observatory also said on Monday the city would be hotter than average this year under the influence of the warming El Nino weather phenomenon. The tropical cyclone season in Hong Kong is expected to start in June or later and end in October or before, according to Observatory director Chan... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3347619/hong-kong-projected-face-4-7-typhoons-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3347619/hong-kong-projected-face-4-7-typhoons-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:16:04 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung A university in Hong Kong has launched an Alzheimer’s disease screening programme using locally developed blood-based testing technology – the first of its kind globally – which is expected to benefit 6,000 underprivileged elderly people over five years. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting one in 10 Hongkongers aged 60 or above, with prevalence increasing with age, according to a Department of Health report last year. Announcing the “NeuroCare Community Project” on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3347591/hkust-launches-programme-offering-alzheimers-blood-based-test-elderly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3347591/hkust-launches-programme-offering-alzheimers-blood-based-test-elderly?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 10:04:04 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong is set for a hot and damp week ahead, with the city’s forecaster predicting relative humidity to reach as high as 95 per cent from Wednesday as seasonal coastal mist moves in. The Observatory said on Monday that daytime temperatures would rise to 28 degrees Celsius (82 Fahrenheit) later this week as a band of cloud affected the Guangdong coast and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3347518/hong-kong-bracing-hot-damp-spell-humidity-reaching-95-midweek?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3347518/hong-kong-bracing-hot-damp-spell-humidity-reaching-95-midweek?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 01:07:52 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Tuen Mun Hospital has, for the first time in Hong Kong, used a non-invasive, MRI-guided ultrasound procedure to treat a Parkinson’s disease patient suffering from uncontrollable tremors, offering an alternative option for those affected by the condition. The hospital said it expected to provide the procedure to 40 patients within two years as part of further research into the new treatment. Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) is a non-invasive, incisionless procedure that uses... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3347504/hong-kongs-first-mri-guided-ultrasound-offers-relief-parkinsons-tremors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3347504/hong-kongs-first-mri-guided-ultrasound-offers-relief-parkinsons-tremors?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 23:30:37 +0000 Xianji Wen Xianji Wen For decades, parts of Hong Kong’s border like the Frontier Closed Area have been shrouded in mystery, their natural landscapes preserved as much by policy as by their remote geography. Recent plans to relax restrictions – including discussions around the Mai Po closed area – and the establishment of the Robin’s Nest Country Park signal a new era of accessibility. Having co-managed the Mai Po nature reserve for decades, the World Wide Fund for Nature Hong Kong (WWF) views this shift with both... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346778/hong-kongs-border-tourism-push-must-not-put-mai-po-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346778/hong-kongs-border-tourism-push-must-not-put-mai-po-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 01:30:10 +0000 Emily Hung,Theodora Yu Emily Hung,Theodora Yu After decades at the front lines campaigning for environmental protection, The Green Earth founder Edwin Lau Che-feng is slowing down to focus on his health and hobbies. The 68-year-old has been one of the most vocal environmentalists championing a waste-charging scheme for more than two decades. Lau still remembers May 27, 2024, when the government abruptly paused the waste-charging bill, as if it were yesterday. The suspension was the biggest blow in his 36-year career. “It feels impossible.... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3347420/veteran-activist-warns-shrinking-space-green-advocacy-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3347420/veteran-activist-warns-shrinking-space-green-advocacy-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 09:00:20 +0000 Harvey Kong Harvey Kong Hong Kong may introduce pilot schemes for booking campsites before the National Day holiday in October, as authorities revealed that 32 people were prosecuted for offences in Sai Kung’s country parks over the Chinese New Year holiday. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan told the Legislative Council on Wednesday that most of those prosecuted were non-locals charged with littering. Authorities had earlier said they were considering implementing a booking system and charging fees for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3347018/hong-kong-test-new-campsite-booking-system-amid-overcrowding-litter-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3347018/hong-kong-test-new-campsite-booking-system-amid-overcrowding-litter-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 08:54:53 +0000 Theodora Yu Theodora Yu A Hong Kong researcher has called for stricter regulations and urged the public to use electronics more responsibly after a study found toxic pollutants from laptops, televisions and smartphones in the bodies and brains of endangered dolphins and porpoises that washed up on the city’s beaches. Yuhe He, an associate professor at City University of Hong Kong and one of the study’s authors, said he was alarmed to find that liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) – the pollutants identified in the research –... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3346676/hong-kong-researcher-sounds-alarm-after-toxic-electronic-waste-found-dolphins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3346676/hong-kong-researcher-sounds-alarm-after-toxic-electronic-waste-found-dolphins?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 13:28:11 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong faces a damp week ahead as humidity is expected to peak at 95 per cent with the arrival of a seasonal coastal mist from Wednesday, according to the city’s weather forecaster. The Observatory said on Sunday daytime temperatures would climb to 26 degrees Celsius (79 Fahrenheit) in the middle of the week, with significantly more humid air arriving in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3346651/damp-days-ahead-hong-kong-95-humidity-expected-midweek?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3346651/damp-days-ahead-hong-kong-95-humidity-expected-midweek?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:44:18 +0000 Kitty Tam,Calvin Au Kitty Tam,Calvin Au When people picture Hong Kong, they often imagine a relentless concrete jungle – a vertical city where glass and steel dominate the skyline. Yet a quiet revolution is beginning to reshape how our city develops. Last week, the Civil Engineering and Development Department and Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department jointly launched the Hong Kong Nature-based Solutions Design Guidelines. This landmark document signals a shift in how we think about infrastructure and urban planning. It... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346141/stay-competitive-hong-kong-must-embrace-nature-based-solutions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346141/stay-competitive-hong-kong-must-embrace-nature-based-solutions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Ambrose Li,William Yiu Ambrose Li,William Yiu Hong Kong’s physiotherapy sector has urged the government to expand employment opportunities for locally trained professionals, warning that severe funding cuts will lead to a glut of practitioners, with the surplus projected to exceed 2,000 by 2040. In a letter to the authorities, the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association pointed to hiring freezes and job losses at NGOs as a result of budget cuts, even as the government continued to subsidise the training of physiotherapists. “These developments... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3346549/funding-cuts-trigger-calls-help-jobs-hong-kongs-physiotherapists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3346549/funding-cuts-trigger-calls-help-jobs-hong-kongs-physiotherapists?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 13:20:07 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Nearly 90 per cent of Hong Kong smokers cannot distinguish smuggled cigarettes from duty-paid ones under the government’s proposed plain packaging measures, a survey by an advocacy group has found. The Long-term Tobacco Policy Concern Group also urged authorities on Thursday to expand the function of the tobacco stamp duty system to allow consumers to scan QR codes and verify whether a pack had been taxed. “With the current packaging, consumers can tell if a pack is taxed based on the brand... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3346327/group-warns-plain-packs-hinder-hongkongers-efforts-detect-smuggled-cigarettes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3346327/group-warns-plain-packs-hinder-hongkongers-efforts-detect-smuggled-cigarettes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 06:53:32 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Hong Kong authorities plan to expand a pilot programme to cut the transfer time by 80 minutes for patients suffering from serious strokes to public hospitals equipped with relevant surgical facilities. The Hospital Authority said on Wednesday that the diversion programme, which was launched in December and is currently only available in the New Territories, would be gradually expanded to the whole city after sufficient data had been collected. Before the pilot scheme’s launch, ambulances would... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3346255/hong-kong-expand-scheme-cutting-stroke-patient-transfer-time-80-minutes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3346255/hong-kong-expand-scheme-cutting-stroke-patient-transfer-time-80-minutes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 13:01:57 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li A protected Hong Kong wetland on southern Lantau Island has recorded a high concentration of petroleum following an oil spill in September, with levels up to 40 times higher than those in unaffected areas, according to an environmental group’s study. Greenpeace in Hong Kong said the high concentration could threaten local ecology. It urged authorities to investigate the oil spill and include unprotected sites with high ecological value in the priority conservation projects under the Biodiversity... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3346007/hong-kong-wetland-records-40-times-more-petroleum-after-oil-spill-greenpeace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3346007/hong-kong-wetland-records-40-times-more-petroleum-after-oil-spill-greenpeace?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:30:18 +0000 Paul Yip,Raymond Lap-Ming Tang,Isabel Chau Paul Yip,Raymond Lap-Ming Tang,Isabel Chau Hong Kong’s new budget is positioned to foster high-quality, inclusive growth through innovation and finance. Ahead of projections, a surplus of HK$2.9 billion (US$370.8 million) is now expected, largely due to the stronger-than-expected stock market and tax receipts. Reflecting a sound fiscal approach and forward thinking, the 2026-27 budget will maintain an operating surplus and allocate about 60 per cent of recurrent spending to vital sectors such as health, social welfare and education. The... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3345183/why-hong-kong-must-make-mental-health-immediate-economic-priority?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3345183/why-hong-kong-must-make-mental-health-immediate-economic-priority?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Authorities have launched an investigation into a potential food poisoning cluster that has affected 53 trainees understood to be from the Hong Kong Police College. The Department of Health said on Saturday that 48 male and five female trainees, aged 20 to 40, had developed symptoms of abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting and fever since Thursday evening. It did not name the police college in its statement, only referring to the location as a training institute. A source confirmed to the South... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345824/health-authorities-probe-possible-food-poisoning-cluster-police-college?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345824/health-authorities-probe-possible-food-poisoning-cluster-police-college?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 12:12:01 +0000 Edith Lin,William Yiu Edith Lin,William Yiu A Hong Kong hospital has launched an investigation after an elderly patient with colon cancer died three weeks after surgeons carried out a medical procedure on the wrong organ. Tseung Kwan O Hospital said on Friday the 85-year-old patient died on Tuesday after undergoing stoma surgery on February 7. The procedure involved creating a surgical opening on the abdomen, known as a stoma, to alleviate an intestinal obstruction. In the time between the operation and her death, the patient was... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345683/hong-kong-cancer-patient-dies-3-weeks-after-incorrect-incision-abdomen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345683/hong-kong-cancer-patient-dies-3-weeks-after-incorrect-incision-abdomen?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 06:05:00 +0000 Theodora Yu Theodora Yu Landlords or operators of subdivided flats in Hong Kong that meet new government living standards can apply to CLP Power for smart meter installation. The smart meters, which now cover 90 per cent of residential households supplied by CLP Power, are open for application following the Basic Housing Units Ordinance taking effect on March 1. CLP, the city’s largest power supplier, provides electricity to Kowloon and the New Territories, including Lantau and Cheung Chau. Equipped with advanced... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345480/smart-meters-available-hong-kong-subdivided-flats-meeting-new-living-standards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345480/smart-meters-available-hong-kong-subdivided-flats-meeting-new-living-standards?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:00:35 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Hong Kong authorities have arrested a 30-year-old woman on suspicion of illegally selling poisons and unregistered pharmaceutical products, after an undercover operation found her offering weight-loss injections online. The Department of Health said on Wednesday that it acted on a tip-off and obtained the anti-obesity medicine through a transaction on an instant messaging app. The product bore a Japanese label and indicated that it contained tirzepatide. According to a photo released by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345475/hong-kong-woman-30-arrested-over-illegal-sale-slimming-injection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345475/hong-kong-woman-30-arrested-over-illegal-sale-slimming-injection?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 15:17:12 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong authorities arrested a man after the discovery of 14 endangered reptiles, including a crocodile and two pythons, at an industrial site in Kwai Chung. A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said on Wednesday evening that officers arrested the man in a blitz operation the previous night. “The AFCD will remain vigilant and continue to monitor and collect intelligence through various channels and proactively take enforcement action to combat offences... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345472/man-arrested-after-14-endangered-reptiles-found-kwai-chung-industrial-site?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345472/man-arrested-after-14-endangered-reptiles-found-kwai-chung-industrial-site?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 14:58:16 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Hong Kong has launched its first action plan on weight management, aiming to reduce the proportion of people who are overweight or obese to less than half the population in three years from the current 51.3 per cent of adults. On Wednesday, World Obesity Day, the Department of Health announced more than 40 measures, ranging from installing more weighing scales in government venues to exploring the inclusion of novel weight-loss injections in the drug formulary, in a bid to reverse the rising... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345436/hong-kong-launches-3-year-action-plan-help-residents-fight-flab?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345436/hong-kong-launches-3-year-action-plan-help-residents-fight-flab?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:48:43 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Hong Kong experienced its warmest winter on record between December and February, according to the city’s forecaster, with a mean temperature of 19.3 degrees Celsius (67 Fahrenheit) – two degrees above normal. The Hong Kong Observatory on Tuesday also attributed the unseasonably warm February to a weaker-than-normal northeast monsoon over southern China for most of the month, resulting in a mean temperature of 20.1 degrees, three degrees above normal. “Together with the well-above-normal... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345294/hong-kong-logs-warmest-winter-record-averaging-2-degrees-celsius-above-normal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345294/hong-kong-logs-warmest-winter-record-averaging-2-degrees-celsius-above-normal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 10:46:49 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong is set to witness a rare total lunar eclipse on Tuesday night, but the weather forecaster warns that thick clouds and possible rain may block the view. The Hong Kong Observatory also said temperatures were expected to drop gradually from 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit) at noon on Tuesday to around 16 degrees in the evening. The astronomical event... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345224/blood-moon-set-rise-over-hong-kong-clouds-rain-may-get-way?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345224/blood-moon-set-rise-over-hong-kong-clouds-rain-may-get-way?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 05:07:03 +0000 Jeffie Lam,Lo Hoi-ying Jeffie Lam,Lo Hoi-ying This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hongkongers should brace for cooler and rainy weather on Tuesday as temperatures are expected to drop progressively to as low as 16 degrees Celsius (61 Fahrenheit) as a cold front approaches, according to the city’s weather forecaster. The Observatory issued an amber rainstorm signal at 7.50pm on Monday, warning of possible flooding in low-lying areas and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345105/rainy-tuesday-expected-hong-kong-temperatures-dipping-16-degrees-celsius?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345105/rainy-tuesday-expected-hong-kong-temperatures-dipping-16-degrees-celsius?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 06:58:42 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Hong Kong hit a record low in births last year despite a range of government incentives, including a HK$20,000 (US$2,560) baby cash bonus for new parents launched in 2023. Just 31,714 babies were born last year. This might have come as a surprise for the authorities, which had projected a rise to 39,000 births. So was the baby bonus worth the try? Yes, if we can draw insight from the experience. To be fair, it wasn’t the only thing the government had done to encourage babies. It rolled out tax... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3344937/hong-kong-cant-raise-its-birth-rate-without-easing-education-stress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3344937/hong-kong-cant-raise-its-birth-rate-without-easing-education-stress?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Quentin Parker Quentin Parker Hong Kong sees itself as a modern, well-governed, global city that moves with the times. On finance, education, legal services and logistics, that self-image holds. But when considering the green transition, particularly transport electrification, the gap between rhetoric and reality is increasingly hard to ignore. Nowhere is this more evident than in electrifying the taxi fleet, where the quarter-century timeline floated bears little resemblance to what is standard practice in neighbouring... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3344649/high-price-hong-kongs-slow-switch-electric-buses-and-taxis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3344649/high-price-hong-kongs-slow-switch-electric-buses-and-taxis?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 01:30:09 +0000