Family happiness in Hong Kong has improved for the first time in three years but not recovered to pre-pandemic levels, with mental health experts calling for the government to develop family policies using Singapore as a model. HK. WeCARE, a concern group under Wofoo Social Enterprises, revealed on Thursday the family happiness index stood at…
More than three-quarters of people receiving drug rehabilitation services in a government-funded NGO over the past five years were readmitted patients, according to Hong Kong’s Audit Commission, but the organisation has said relapses among recovering addicts was common in the treatment process. In a report released on Wednesday, the auditor urged the Society for the…
After her father lost his ability to walk, Hongkonger Anita Au spent about HK$1 million (US$128,816) removing safety hazards and redesigning her parents’ house to meet older people’s needs. The five months of renovations to make the 400 sq ft flat in Aberdeen wheelchair friendly were carried out last year so that Au’s 86-year-old father,…
The stress of taking care of his elderly parents and family brought 44-year-old Hongkonger Michael to the verge of a breakdown. Already the father of an eight-year-old, he juggles the responsibilities of his regular home life with taking care of his parents and working full time. Michael, who only wanted to provide his first name,…
Some patients and advocacy groups have voiced concerns over medical fee increases under a reform of Hong Kong’s subsidised public healthcare model, while experts have called for alternative services to be strengthened to support affected residents. Ng Ka-lun, who suffers from severe amblyopia, commonly known as “lazy eye”, will have to pay about HK$2,000 (US$257)…
Hong Kong Unison’s founder has expressed support for its board’s decision to disband after 24 years of advocating for the rights of the city’s ethnic minority groups, saying she did not wish to see the organisation be “exploited by opportunists for personal or political gain”. Fermi Wong Wai-fun, who left the group in 2014, broke…
More than 20,000 Hong Kong students are at risk of dropping out of school, with about 60 per cent of them under the age of 15, an NGO has estimated, while calling for a rethink of measures to ensure youngsters are identified sooner. Youth Outreach shared the results from its latest research report on Monday,…
As Hong Kong grapples with an estimated budget deficit of nearly HK$100 billion (US$12.8 billion), Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has urged government departments to tighten their purse strings ahead of announcing his annual budget on February 26. His call has sparked concerns among some observers about the possible impacts of budget cuts, including higher…
Advocacy groups and tenants have urged Hong Kong authorities to adjust proposals for regulating below-standard subdivided flats, calling for bigger minimum sizes and permanent resettlement as a public consultation ended. Some tenants on Monday also said they had been evicted as their landlords had told them they needed to renovate their flats to meet the…
Hong Kong landlords who rent out low-quality subdivided homes could face up to three years in jail and HK$300,000 (US$38,550) in fines under a proposed government plan to wipe out such flats. Details of the proposal were revealed on Wednesday, a day after the housing minister urged landlords not to illegally chase out tenants for…