March 2009

Briefing Session on Nutrition Labelling Scheme

The Centre for Food Safety and the Academy will co-organise a joint briefing session on Nutrition Labelling Scheme to be held on 25 April 2009.

The new regulation on the Nutrition Labelling Scheme was enacted by the Legislative Council in May 2008, and will come into operation in July 2010. The regulation aims to assist consumers in making healthy food choices, regulate misleading or deceptive labels and claims, as well as encourage food manufacturers to apply sound nutrition principles in formulation of foods for the benefit of public health.

For more details of the briefing session and registration, please click here.

Collaboration with Ministry of Health on Specialist Registration in Mainland

The Academy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Health (MOH) in April 2006 to facilitate the development of a specialist registration system in Mainland China. Pilot schemes were started in April last year and has been running for almost one year. At the request of MOH, the Academy and the 4 Colleges involved in the pilot schemes, namely Dental Surgeons, Ophthalmologists, Orthopaedic Surgeons, and Paediatricians, will visit the piloting hospitals in March and report on progress to MOH in early April. The Vice-Minister of Health, Prof. Huang Jie-fu, has planned to visit Hong Kong in May to discuss future work plans of this project with the Academy.

HKAM Credit Card

The Academy will issue a new co-branded credit card with Dah Sing Bank in May. Details will be announced shortly.

2009 Annual Subscriptions

Demand notes for the 2009 subscriptions have been sent out to Fellows from either the Academy or their College. Fellows are urged to settle their subscription as soon as possible before 30 June 2009 if they have not yet done so. (Note: Please be reminded that it is Council's policy that subscriptions received by the Academy after 30 June will be subject to a surcharge of 5% on the subscription amount.)

CME/CPD for Specialist Registration

Fellows are reminded that Specialist Registration (SR) is maintained by MCHK/DCHK. The Academy’s duty is only to make reports to MCHK/DCHK on compliance of CME/CPD for the purpose of SR. While the Academy can grant exemption to Fellows retired from active practice, this is for the purpose of Fellowship only. The MRO and DRO stipulate that CME is a must for the SR. The Academy will cease to record CME/CPD for a Fellow upon his/her resignation or approval of CME exemption, and shall inform the MCHK/DCHK once his/her name has been removed from the Academy’s register. Fellows who wish to resign his Fellowship or apply for CME/CPD exemption should consider voluntary resignation from the SR with MCHK/DCHK directly, if their names are on the SR. The Academy cannot do this on behalf of Fellows.

Fellows' Contact Information

If Fellows have recently changed their contact details, please inform the Academy. The Secretariat would only send letters or notifications to Fellows using the contact information in the record that was provided by the Fellows themselves.

Dining Facilities

The Dining Room on 2/F of the Academy Building has resumed normal services since its temporary closure in December for renovation and maintenance works. The opening hours are: Monday to Friday 12:00 – 20:00. Saturday 12:00 – 20:00, Sunday & Public Holidays closed.

Wonca Asia-Pacific Regional Conference 2009 - Building Bridges The Hong Kong College of Family Physicians invites you to join the Wonca Asia-Pacific Regional Conference 2009 - Building Bridges. The conference will be held on 4-7 Jun 2009 at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. For more information and registration, please visit www.wonca2009.org.

Hong Kong Medical Journal February 2009 issue is now available on the Journal's website <http://www.hkmj.org>. Highlights of this issue include:

EDITORIAL

• Foreign bodies in children’s airways: a challenge to clinicians and regulators

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

• Foreign body aspiration in Hong Kong Chinese children

• Menstrual problems and health-seeking behaviour in Hong Kong Chinese girls

Online CME/CPD

Quizzes from the following Colleges are currently available at iCMECPD website for Fellows to study online for CME/CPD:

Please visit the CMe-Learning of iCMECPD website (www.icmecpd.hk) for the latest CME/CPD materials.

Upcoming Conference(s) / Symposium(s)