The disastrous fire in Tai Po shocked everyone on 26 November 2025. We are all deeply saddened by the unfortunate news and the HKCFP extends its deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the deceased in the fire. Our College stands with those being affected through these challenging times, and hopes that everyone can have a rapid recovery from the pain and suffering. With the help of our College members and Fellows, the HKCFP responded swiftly to the request for urgent medical support in the following morning to man the temporary shelters in Tai Po and to provide care to the people in need. On behalf of our College, I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all fellow colleagues who have responded to our urgent call for help in no time. I salute you all.

We just held our College’s 2025 Annual General Meetings (AGM) in last weekend. At the beginning of the AGM, we observed a minute of silence to pay our respects to the Tai Po fire victims. In addition to endorsing the HKCFP Annual Reports, we also endorsed the appointments of new council members for the term, namely Drs. LAU Ho Lim, Lorna NG VENTURA, Anthony P FOK, KO Wai Kit, LAI Kit Chi, Emily TY TSE and WONG Mong Sze. We also took the opportunity to thank Dr. CHAN Hung Chiu who has just stepped down from being our Council member and Chairman of the Board of Conjoint Examination for more than 2 decades. We are immensely grateful for Dr. CHAN’s selfless dedication and hard work over the years. 

With the recent surge in severe influenza cases among children in the community, the Government and the HKCFP are keen to solicit the support of all family physicians to actively encourage influenza vaccination for children aged 6 months to under 2 years as this age group is particularly vulnerable. Therefore, increasing vaccination rates among them is crucial to prevent further severe cases, and to protect our youngest community members. Family physicians are the most trusted source of health information for parents, and parent's engagement can significantly influence vaccination uptake. For details of the seasonal vaccination programmes for this target group, please visit the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) website at https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/108178.html. 

I was invited to attend "The Macau Medical Forum 2025" held at the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform Complex in June this year. It was integrated with the inauguration of The Macau Family Medicine Training Base. This initiative aimed to enhance Macau's primary healthcare system and contribute to a "Healthy Macau". The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of Macau SAR, Ms. O Lam, who officiated the events emphasised the importance of family medicine as the "cornerstone of primary care" for universal healthcare. Medical experts from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau were invited to attend the Forum and the Inauguration of the Family Medicine Training Base.

The next WONCA Asia Pacific Regional Conference is to be hosted by the Philippine Academy of Family Physicians at Iloilo, Philippines from 25- 27 March, 2026. The conference theme is entitled, “Family Physicians are Gifted to Give: Hearts that care for Persons, Family, and Community.” Details can be found from their conference Website: www.wonca-apr2026.org.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!