Health Bureau
醫務衞生局
 Hong Kong Government Agency

Health Bureau Logo
SecretaryLo Chung-mau
Under
Secretary		Libby Lee
Permanent
Secretary		Thomas Chan
Political
Assistant		Pending
Agency Information
Establishment2022
AffiliationChief Secretary for Administration
Headquarter19/F, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong
Contact
WebsiteOfficial Website

Health Bureau (Chinese: 醫務衞生局) is a part of the fifteen policy bureaux for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. They are responsible for the health portfolios. The agency was established on 1 July 2022. The current (since 1 July 2022) Secretary for Health is Professor Lo Chung-mau.[1]

This bureau was newly established under the re-organization of policy bureaux proposed by Carrie Lam, the fifth Chief Executive of Hong Kong, and was adopted by John Lee, the succeeding Chief Executive after Carrie Lam.[2] On 19 June 2022, the Central People's Government announced the appointment of Professor Lo Chung-mau, previously the Head of University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, as the first Secretary for Health.[3]

Due to the restructuring, portfolios such as environmental hygiene, food safety, public health on agriculture and fisheries previously belonged to Food and Health Bureau are assigned to the Environment and Ecology Bureau, leaving Health Bureau remaining the health portfolio to be in-charge.[4]

Subordinate departments

There is only one department under the Health Bureau:[5]

Centre for Health Protection

The CHP was created in 2003 in response to the SARS outbreak and copies the function of the CDC in the United States.

Before the introduction CHP reports to the Director of Health.

History

In September 2022, SCMP reported that cruise line Royal Caribbean International abandoned its plans for a "cruise to nowhere" as the company did not receive a reply from the Health Bureau about approval for a month.[6]

In October 2022, the Health Bureau was reported to be in discussions with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority to finalize details for the Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit in November 2022, where the Health Bureau was discussing an option for COVID-19 positive guests to leave Hong Kong if leaving on private jets, but would not be allowed to leave on commercial airlines.[7] SCMP confirmed that the Health Bureau has permitted guests to the Summit to leave by private jet or yacht if testing positive, and would also exempt guests from the "amber code" in their first 3 days of landing in Hong Kong.[8]

In May 2023, after some Hongkongers expressed reluctance to have organ donations go to mainland China, the Health Bureau said "Some individuals also wantonly vilify the constructive significance of the proposed establishment of a standing mutual assistance mechanism for transplant by the two places, undoubtedly despising the inseparable ties between citizens of Hong Kong and the Mainland."[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Welcome Message – Health Bureau". 16 July 2022.
  2. ↑ "New Hong Kong Leader's Vow to Fix Housing Crisis Draws Skeptics". Bloomberg.com. 22 May 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  3. ↑ "Principal Officials of Sixth-term HKSAR Government appointed (with photos)". 19 June 2022.
  4. ↑ "RE-ORGANISATION OF THE GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE FOR THE SIXTH-TERM GOVERNMENT" (PDF). 17 May 2022.
  5. ↑ "Organisation Chart of the Government of the HKSAR". 28 June 2002.
  6. ↑ "Exclusive: Hong Kong cruise ship service restart may be sunk by slow response from government". South China Morning Post. 18 September 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  7. ↑ Standard, The. "Covid-positive VIP bankers traveled to HK could exit on private jets". The Standard. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  8. ↑ "Some exemptions offered to overseas bankers attending Hong Kong summit". South China Morning Post. 20 October 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  9. ↑ Ho, Kelly (23 May 2023). "Hong Kong alleges attempts to 'disrupt' organ donation as city sees nearly 3,000 'invalid' withdrawals from register". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Retrieved 23 May 2023.


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