In a bid to tackle the rapidly rising healthcare service demands due to the escalating number of people found to be COVID-19 positive in the community, I recently attended a meeting of healthcare organisations coordinated by the Food and Health Bureau. In the meeting, I reported that the HKCFP has been fully supporting the fight against the virus over the last two years and would strive to continue to do so for as long as it takes until the pandemic is over. We have disseminated the COVID-19 information and related materials regularly through various HKCFP channels including our College website, Facebook, email messages, newsletters, as well as through the media like the radio, television, and newspapers, helping our members and the public to keep track on the developments of the pandemic. Our family doctor colleagues have been actively making contributions towards combating COVID-19 in many different ways, be it in the frontline helping to detect cases early, providing COVID-19 vaccinations, looking after COVID-19 patients, providing telecase, or in the management level planning and organising Community Isolation Facilities, Designated Clinics, hotline services, etc. Each and everyone one of us are trying our best to contribute in fighting the 5th wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. I also reiterated the importance of having “one family doctor for each citizen in Hong Kong”, which is most essential in times like this. Family doctors who know their patients well and have built up long term rapport with their patients can help to look after and support their patients more efficiently and effectively. This is the way to go.

As COVID-19 infected cases a r e mount in g , HKCFP member s are cordially invited to provide further urgent support to services in fighting against COVID-19, including clinical support in Communit y Isolation Facilities for elderly and other people, for people under quarantine or isolation at home, medical hotlines, COVID-19 vaccination at RCHEs and as outreach team, etc. The deadline of the first round of responses via an online link using Google form is set on 13 March 2022, but the exercise is anticipated to be ongoing until further notice. Details are enclosed in my email to members entitled "Urgent Appeal for Concerted Efforts to Combat COVID-19". Let us join hands in fighting against COVID-19 in the 5th wave of the pandemic! I look forward to receiving your staunch support as always! 

In order to further enhance the community support for confirmed COVID-19 patients and implement a triage system to prioritise hospital services for patients in critical condition, at the time of writing, the Hospital Authority has activated a total of 23 Designated Clinics across Hong Kong. The Designated Clinics, led by family doctors and supported by the primary care teams, aim to provide diagnosis and treatment for confirmed cases in the community presenting with relatively mild symptoms of infection, especially among the high risk patients, e.g. the elderly aged 70 or above, children aged 5 or below, women at 28 or more weeks of pregnancy, and immunocompromised patients such as organ transplant recipients and those with immune system disorders or long-term use of immunosuppressive drugs. The operation of Designated Clinics demonstrates the important gatekeeping role of family doctors in the healthcare system, especially during a crisis in the pandemic. The swift activation of Designated Clinics requires strong support from the senior management, clinical leadership, teamwork, rapid mobilisation of resources and rearrangements of General Outpatient Clinics and Family Medicine Services within a very short space of time. Salute to all who are involved!

In the March issue of the Hong Kong Practitioner, we have the privilege of inviting Professor Doris Young to share with us on her experience and views on our College’s exit examination in the form of an editorial. After serving as our external examiner for the HKCFP Exit Examination over the last 15 years, Professor Young reflects on the changes and advancements implemented over that period under her great leadership, ensuring the high standard of our Exit Examination. And she also shares her vision on the potential options that may be considered for the future Exit Examination. Don’t miss out on the forthcoming editorial.

Please keep well and stay safe.