The Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme (CRCSP) is being implemented by the Department of Health to subsidise asymptomatic Hong Kong residents aged between 50 and 75 to undergo screening tests in private sector for prevention of colorectal cancer. Patients go through the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) screening test first, and if it is found positive, colonoscopy will be arranged with government subsidy. As Family Doctors are the initial contact points of patients for health-related issues, your advice is very important and indeed instrumental in moderating patient's perception and practice towards Colorectal Rectal Cancer (CRC) screening. Please encourage eligible people to join the CRCSP. If you are practising in non-public sector and have not yet enrolled as Primary Care Doctor (PCD) in providing the FIT screening service, you are cordially invited to do so at your earliest convenience. (Please Click)

According to official statistics, cannabis abuse is on the rise in Hong Kong. In order to enhance the knowledge of frontline medical practitioners on the harms and myths of cannabis abuse, the Narcotics Division of Security Bureau is organising a “Capacity Building Online Seminar on Cannabis Abuse” on Friday, 24 September 2021, from 2 pm to 5 pm.

Speakers include academics, frontline practitioners of anti-drug service units and Government representatives, who will discuss and exchange views on various aspects of cannabis abuse. Case sharing by drug rehabilitees who have successfully quitted cannabis will be a special feature of the seminar. Please refer to more details per the usual dissemination channels.

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of College of Family Physicians Singapore. The College of Family Physicians Singapore has made significant contributions to advance Family Medicine in Singapore through her mission to advance the Art and Science of medical practice. On behalf of the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians, I would like to send our warmest congratulations to A/Prof. Tan Tze Lee, President of the College of Family Physicians Singapore, and look forward to closer association and collaboration between our two Colleges in the years ahead. 

In this month’s Hong Kong Practitioner, we have got the full paper on our survey on family doctors’ perception of the District Health Centre (DHC) in Hong Kong. As we have mentioned the gist of the survey previously, the survey found that most family doctors knew about what DHC was and considered it as an useful service for the public. However, increasing efforts in the engagement of private family doctors would be conducive to further enhance the coverage by the network medical practitioners, which would in turn benefit the patients in the community. After being postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the WONCA 2021 World Conference is going to be held fully online between 22–27 November 2021. (Please Click) The scientific programme will include three days of preconference workshops and three days of conference proceedings. Plenaries, special sessions, expert and breakout sessions will be accessible on-demand for all conference delegates even after completion of the conference. Oral and Poster presentations will be available for viewing and interactions with the presenters can be done throughout the conference dates. Please mark your diaries and wish you a very enjoyable WONCA World Conference ahead. 

Please keep well and stay safe.