Hong Kong's influenza season

The government says it will introduce a new batch of vaccines to Hong Kong. This comes after a health panel was held at the Legislative Council that focuses on the city's influenza preparation.

Hong Kong has entered the summer influenza season. In a health panel meeting at the Legislative Council, Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau says that authorities plan to purchase a new batch of flu vaccines.

Some lawmakers question if the government could bring forward outreach vaccination programmes to September. Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau says "It's all done before the end of October. The WHO decides the proposed strains in February or March and then manufacturers will start to work. We receive vaccines in around September."

On cross-boundary health care collaboration, a legislator asks the bureau to provide the cost for each ambulance transfer between mainland and Hong Kong. Yang Wing-kit, a lawmaker representing Kowloon Central, asks " Will there be a subsidy for our public? How much are they paying at the moment?"

Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau says "It's (the service) for non-urgent cases. It's for inpatients who have been staying in the hospitals for a period of time so we offer the option of bringing them back to Hong Kong. For the payment at the moment, the price is actually set by the mainland hospitals and medical institutions. We have no authority to interfere with how they arrange the pricing."

Another question the lawmakers have is whether Hong Kongers should be encouraged to see doctors in the mainland instead of in Hong Kong.

Asked if the government will provide an option for residents seeking medical consultation on the mainland, Lo says they have no intention to shift their responsibility to other mainland cities.