Government terminates all contracts associated with owners of Xin Ding Xin Trade Co., Limited

​A Government spokesman said today (August 20) that the Government had immediately terminated all contracts associated with owners of Xin Ding Xin Trade Co., Limited (XDX).

Based on the information obtained by the Government Logistics Department (GLD) on the business operation of XDX earlier, as well as recent enforcement actions against XDX by government departments, the Government reasonably believes that XDX and companies associated with its owners (i.e. those sharing the same registered office with XDX and have directors including the director/shareholders of XDX) would no longer be capable of performing the contracts. Following GLD’s termination of the contract with XDX for supply of bottled drinking water to government offices and three other contracts for supply of chemicals associated with its owners earlier, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau has also promptly informed bureaux and departments to terminate all of their contracts with the said companies.

The Government spokesman said today that the Government had immediately terminated all other contracts with those companies. They include a contract for the supply of chemicals awarded by the Drainage Services Department (DSD) and a contract for data entry services awarded by the Fire Services Department (FSD), with a total contract value of some $6 million and some $5 million respectively.

As regards the GLD’s contract with XDX for the supply of bottled drinking water to government offices, XDX has submitted a deposit of about $1 million to the Government pursuant with contract terms. The Government is entitled to deduct from the contract deposit according to contract terms to recover its losses arising from contract termination, and reserves all rights to take actions against XDX. The GLD will also continue to be in full co-operation with the investigations of law enforcement agencies.

The GLD, DSD and FSD will continue to follow up seriously on the above contracts, including considering to recover the Government’s losses from the relevant companies in accordance with contract terms. Any illegal activities identified in the contracts will be referred to law enforcement agencies for follow-up.

Government stresses that telehealth services should be provided by qualified healthcare professionals in accordance with professional guidelines

Regarding the Consumer Council’s study findings on “Enhancing Governance in Telehealth: Fostering Consumer Trust and Innovation”, the Health Bureau today (August 20) stated that to ensure healthcare quality and safety and to safeguard citizen’s health, the Government’s long-standing position is that any kind of medical service (including in-person consultations or telehealth services) should be provided by qualified healthcare professionals, whose delivery is governed by the regulatory boards and councils of relevant healthcare professions. Such healthcare professionals bear professional responsibility and must act in the interest of patients. Their standard of practice must not be compromised based on the service mode (whether by means of in-person consultations or telehealth services).

Currently, the Medical Council of Hong Kong and the Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board under the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong have already promulgated guidelines for the telehealth practice (see Annexes), covering operational issues such as establishing a doctor-patient relationship, evaluating patients’ suitability for telehealth services, obtaining informed consent and protecting patient privacy.

Telehealth services allow citizens to access healthcare services without leaving their homes; however, they may not be suitable for all scenarios particularly when patients may need on-site clinical examinations for accurate diagnosis and treatment. This involves the professional judgment of healthcare professionals. The Government will ensure that the boards and councils of various healthcare professions would formulate and update specific telehealth guidelines in a timely manner based on their professional practice and operational needs, with a view to protecting the interests of patients and healthcare professionals. When seeking medical services, members of the public should ascertain that the service provider is a qualified healthcare professional to safeguard their own safety and interests. In case of complaints against the telehealth services provided by healthcare professionals, the public may contact the regulatory boards and councils of relevant healthcare professions.