Tung Wah Group of Hospitals

Since its establishment in 1870, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (TWGHs) has been a pivotal part of the Hong Kong society for 150 years, relentlessly upholding its mission “To heal the sick and to relieve the distressed; to care for the elderly and to rehabilitate the disabled; to promote education and to nurture the youngsters; and to raise the infants and to guide the youth”. Striving to serve the community, TWGHs has gradually evolved to meet the ever-changing needs of the society and carried on the long-lasting philanthropic torch. The Inauguration Ceremony of the TWGHs Board of Directors 2020/2021 was held at the Assembly Hall of Tung Wah Hospital on 20 October 2020, demonstrating the new Board of Directors’ commitment and dedication to leading TWGHs towards a bright future.

The Hon. TSUI Ying Wai, Caspar, JP, Secretary for Home Affairs, presented testimonials to the retiring Board Members and Advisers. He also administered the oath of the 2020/2021 Board Members including Ms. Ginny MAN, the Chairman, Mr. TAM Chun Kwok, Kazaf, the 1st Vice-Chairman, Mr. MA Ching Yeung, Philip, the 2nd Vice-Chairman, Mr. WAI Ho Man, Herman, the 3rd Vice-Chairman, Ms. TANG Ming Wai, Mandy, the 4th Vice-Chairman, Mr. HO Yau Kai, Orlando, the 5th Vice-Chairman, as well as Mr. Derrick FUNG, Ms. YAN Zi, Mr. LEE Chak Hol, Michael, Mrs. CHEN YAO Li Ni, Lily, Mr. LIU Chun Fai, Kenneth, Mrs. MAK TANG Wai Man, Vivian, Mrs. NG CHENG Nga Yu, Emmi, Mrs. Natalie CHAN CHU, Dr. CHUANG Tze Cheung, Christopher, Ms. LEUNG Wai Yan, Iris, Ms. Renee HUNG, Mr. TSENG Hing Yip, York, Ms. CHOI Ka Yee, Crystal and Miss Annie KAO, the Directors.

Speaking at the Ceremony today, Ms. Ginny MAN, the Chairman said that being Hong Kong’s first non-governmental charitable group, TWGHs has walked alongside the city and never ceased to innovate and expand its scope of services for the past 150 years. It has also progressed to become the largest charitable organisation in Hong Kong, with the total number of service units increasing to 343 and a total recurrent expenditure including hospital services exceeding $10.2 billion in the current year. Adhering to Group’s missions for the benefit of the community, TWGHs will put its 150th Anniversary slogan “For Charity, We Go Beyond” into action, further spreading the philanthropic spirits together with the public to all corners of Hong Kong.

In early February of this year, the Board of Directors 2019/2020 launched Phase 1 of TWGHs’ community support programme. The incumbent directors, since taking office, have continued to garner support from various sectors in Hong Kong for TWGHs’ anti-epidemic initiatives. Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the community support programme were rolled out successively to provide much-needed, consistent support to local and overseas Chinese communities in terms of anti-epidemic supplies, services, financial assistance and emotional support.

During the epidemic, the online anti-epidemic concert “LOVE actually LIVE actually” was held and enjoyed by close to 800,000 viewers, whereas $10 million was raised in the “Share Love & Fight the Epidemic” donation campaign for short term financial aid, allowing the Group to offer one-time financial assistance to over 1,000 service users and their families. Response for the campaign was overwhelming – the quota was filled shortly after application was open to the public. During the 3rd wave of the epidemic, TWGHs promptly supported the COVID-19 Community Testing Scheme launched by the Home Affairs Department, assisting in distributing sampling kits and collecting specimens in residential buildings in Tsz Wan Shan and Kwun Tong, while helping the government trace sources of infection and close contacts. Subsequently, when the Universal Community Test Programme was launched, TWGHs sent a team of 160 teachers and students from Tung Wah College to manage 2 Community Centres and support other districts, collecting throat and nasal swabs for members of the public. Meanwhile, TWGHs colleagues were entitled to an extra half-day leave if they would like to take the test during office hours. Through the Group’s contribution, it is hoped that those infected with the virus could be identified early and the transmission chain could be cut.

TWGHs’ latest anti-epidemic efforts received zealous support from their predecessors, advisers, benefactors and partner organisations. In particular, the “KWIH Anti-Epidemic Fund” donated $3.7 million to TWGHs, as start-up funding for surgical masks production lines set out to meet the Group’s demand in the long run. TWGHs also implemented a number of community support programmes jointly with the Home Affairs Department and benefactors from various sectors. In the 3 phases of TWGHs’ community support programme, the Group distributed a total of 4 million surgical masks, along with a wide range of anti-epidemic supplies, to healthcare professionals, patients, children of low-income families, students, socially vulnerable groups and the grassroots.

The provision of free medical services for the needy has long been the prime objective of TWGHs, benefiting approximately 900,000 people per annum. The Group will strive to preserve this excellent tradition, and pay equal attention to the advancement of its medical and health services. The Board of Directors will continue to provide funding in support of free medical services and the various patient assistance programmes that enable those with financial difficulty to receive treatments and the acquisition of new technology and advanced medical equipment for better service quality. Grounded upon TWGHs solid experience in the development of Chinese medicine services, the Board has been active in exploring new service directions. Having made the government’s list of prequalified tenderers for the operation of the Chinese medicine hospital in Tseung Kwan O, TWGHs is making strenuous efforts to join the 2nd stage of tendering exercise. TWGHs will submit their tender by the end of December 2020, and is looking for zealous local and mainland partners with high potentials to formulate the modus operandi of the Chinese medicine hospital. Besides, to contribute to the long-term development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong, the Group will continue to provide quality and efficient Chinese medicine services for the public, including the new Chinese medicine mobile clinics to be launched in early next year, renovation for the Chinese Medicine Clinical Research and Services Centre in TWGHs Wong Tai Sin Hospital, as well as reinforcement of the Chinese medicine specialists outpatient services on Hong Kong Island. Moreover, to nurture local Chinese medicine professionals and foster academic exchange, the Group will host an international symposium on Chinese and Western medicines in December 2020, where healthcare professionals from TWGHs 5 hospitals and many healthcare units will share their insights, which will provide a platform for specialists around the world to exchange research findings, while contributing to the betterment of Chinese and western medicine services and nurturing Chinese medicine professionals.

In view of the significant public demand for integrated medical services, TWGHs has established an integrated diagnostic and medical centre in North Point, which has been put into operation by phases. Meanwhile, the redevelopment project of Kwong Wah Hospital has been in full swing, with an expected completion date in 2025/2026. After the redevelopment, Kwong Wah Hospital will not only maintain its role as an acute care facility, but also provide additional and enhanced facilities for offering quality, convenient and diversified services to the public.

On the education front, guided by the objective of all-round education, TWGHs has been grooming talents for over a hundred years. The new TWGHs Tseng Hin Pei Primary School will open in Queen’s Hill, Fanling. Construction of the superstructure is near completion, and the Group is passing ahead with the facades and interior partitioning. It is hoped that the school can commence operation in September 2021 as the area’s new public housing projects bring about increased demand for primary places. Besides, the superstructure works of TWGHs Tsoi Wing Sing Primary School on its permanent campus are now in full swing. Together with the ongoing preparation tasks, the new campus is expected to be opened in the 2022/2023 school year. Meantime, TWGHs is actively investing resources into the campus design of the two special schools on Renfrew Road in Kowloon Tong, in the hope that construction can begin as soon as possible. The campus integration and expansion of the TWGHs Ko Ho Ning Memorial Primary School has also been finished, which has increased the total floor area by over 2,900 square metres. The renovation of the new wing has begun and the school is expected to come into operation in mid-2021.

To meet the needs of the public and stay abreast of the times, TWGHs has been investing more resources on promoting managerial effectiveness for the school management. The Group has been strengthening the supervisory competence of school principals and vice-principals, and supporting principals in developing partnerships with TWGHs schools and different education institutes. To these ends, the principals of its primary schools have formed a core team to engage in exchange and collaboration with Australian schools, with the aim of promoting positive education and implementing character education. At the same time, TWGHs will set up more effective communication channels between principals and stakeholders. The Group also places a strong emphasis on teachers’ training, and will continue to organise cross-border learning activities aiming at promoting continuous professional development for teachers at various career phases and disciplines.

For years, to help students to be well prepared to challenges ahead, the Group has been actively implementing quality curricula, such as STEM education, Life Planning Education and Tung Wah civic education. In view of the coronavirus outbreak, all schools of the Group were using online and electronic materials to let students keep up with their learning during class suspension. On the other hand, the schools produced and distributed e-counselling materials for kindergarten students and their carers through the TWGHs Ho Yuk Ching Educational Psychology Service Centre. TWGHs also helped schools to procure protective gear, identified suppliers to disinfect schools, and strengthened campus hygiene measures such as application of disinfection coating, installation of automatic disinfection sprayers and provision of book sterilisers to minimise the risk of infection. All forms of thematic excursions and exchange programmes for building students’ global perspective will resume once the coronavirus outbreak is over.

In terms of tertiary education, Tung Wah College continues to provide excellent tertiary education and head to its goal to be recognised as a private university. It succeeded in obtaining accreditation for its occupational therapy from the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications, and is currently preparing the accreditation application for the second programme. The College is also celebrating its 10th Anniversary in 2020 with a host of activities under the theme “Thrive with Knowledge, Serve with Heart” to share its joy with stakeholders and members of society.

Ms. Ginny MAN, the Chairman, continued, TWGHs has been providing a spectrum of quality social welfare services to all walks of life. To promote youth development in full force, the Group has been pushing the progress of the Holistic Centre for Youth Development in San Po Kong and the Youth Hostel Project at Hollywood Road in Sheung Wan, with the former being under construction and expected to commence operation by 2022. On the other hand, the Navigation Scheme for Young Persons in Care Services continues to arrange recruitment and on-the-job training for youth interested in the social welfare and nursing fields, enabling them to build a steady professional path for themselves.

In the area of elderly services, TWGHs has put strenuous efforts in providing professional and quality elderly and rehabilitative services in response to the growing needs of our ageing society. The Group is conducting feasibility studies on the reconstruction of TWGHs Jockey Club Care and Attention Home, and a consultancy has been commissioned to conduct the study. To fully promote a healthy elderly life, the Group has installed fitness equipment and body check stations at elderly centres to encourage the seniors to work out and develop proper health management habits. Meanwhile, TWGHs spares no effort in driving rehabilitative services and empowering people in need. The Group will continue to give special care to people with disabilities through the provision of complete and continuous rehabilitation training services, in particular, extending the reach of its integrated services to physically challenged individuals in Central, Western and Southern Districts, Tung Chung, and outlying islands, in an effort to improve their quality of life and help relieve the pressure on their families and carers. The Group will also connect people with different abilities by promoting the artworks of i-dArt artists. TWGHs will at the same time consolidate and enhance its catering and food and beverage businesses, and raise its operational efficiency.

After residents moved into “Nam Cheong 220”, a joint initiative of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and TWGHs, the Group is working with a Task Force on Transitional Housing of the Transport and Housing Bureau to explore the feasibility of developing and operating transitional housing on the idle land in the city. It is hoped that, through transitional housing built with social service elements, the living environment and quality of life of those on the waiting list for public housing as well as individuals living in appalling conditions can be improved.

Ms. Ginny MAN, the Chairman, said, TWGHs has played an important role as a pioneer and guardian of Hong Kong’s heritage and culture, injecting new impetus to traditional services continuously. The Group is planning to open a culturally oriented café next to Hung Shing Temple in Wanchai, infusing the products and workshops with Chinese cultural elements to encourage young people engaging with traditional Chinese culture more. In addition, to demonstrate the Group’s role and contributions in the history and charity development of Hong Kong, the Group has continued to collaborate with local and mainland organisations to compose relevant publications and organise thematic exhibitions, including the Chinese edition of the historic publication on the history of the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals over the past 150 years scheduled for release in early 2021, the “Heritage Over a Century: Tung Wah Museum and Heritage Conservation” exhibition co-organised with the Antiquities and Monuments Office, as well as the TWGHs 150th anniversary special exhibition, entitled “Hand-in-Hand for Benevolence: Tung Wah’s Fund-raising Culture and Social Development”, to be held jointly with the Leisure and Cultural Services Department in 27 October 2020 at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. Together with the Tung Wah Coffin Home and Tin Hau Temple Complex, Yaumatei, TWGHs now manages a total of 5 declared monuments and numerous historic buildings in different gradings. The Group is strongly committed to preserving local heritage and promoting the philanthropic spirit of TWGHs.

Over the years, through organising a variety of fund-raising events, TWGHs has been an indispensable part in the development of Hong Kong’s fund-raising culture and values. As waves of the epidemic came and went in recent months, TWGHs has faced huge challenges in their fund-raising works, but the Group pledges to redouble its efforts to implement a series of novel fund-raising events and donation plans in celebration of its 150th Anniversary. Earlier “Skateboard Deck Art Online Exhibition cum Charity Auction” was held on Sotheby’s website, featuring around 60 lots of ingenious skateboard deck art by renowned artists and celebrities across Asia, as well as “TWGHs i-dArt” artists. On TWGHs Flag Day 2020, the Group partnered with a local young artist to design a set of 4 paper flag stickers that could be put together to form a four-leaf clover pattern. TWGHs has moved the activity online by launching the Flag Day Online Donation, so that people observing social distancing in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak could still participate in this charitable activity. The “Tung Wah Funny Flags Wonderland” online game was also launched to give members of the public a comprehensive picture of the Group’s development over the years and its Anniversary. Other initiatives will be rolled out soon, inviting people from all walks of life to support the spirit of philanthropy.

Ms. Ginny MAN, the Chairman, continued, the Board of Directors 2020/2021 feels extremely honoured to take over the reins of TWGHs on the 150th Anniversary of the Group. Given the global economic instability and epidemic, TWGHs will continue to stand alongside members of the society with a modest mind, a determination to put public good at top priority, and a magnanimous and all-embracing spirit, to carry forward the long-standing charitable work of TWGHs for the benefits of the community and a fruitful future.

For details of the biography of 2020/2021 Board Members, please visit http://www.tungwah.org.hk/en/about/corporate-governance/board-of-directors/

Since its establishment in 1870, TWGHs has been all along upholding its mission “To heal the sick and to relieve the distressed; to care for the elderly and to rehabilitate the disabled; to promote education and to nurture the youngsters; and to raise the infant and to guide the youth.” Nowadays, TWGHs is the largest charitable organisation with the longest history in Hong Kong. For one and a half centuries, TWGHs has persistently pioneered and marked significant milestones in medical and health, education and community services, to fulfill the needs of the society and to provide the public with high quality services at low rates or for free. Today, TWGHs operates 343 services units, including 5 hospitals and 34 Chinese and Western medicine services units, 57 education services units, 225 community services units that cover elderly, youth and family, rehabilitation, social enterprises and social innovation services, 2 records and heritage service units, namely, Tung Wah Museum and TWGHs Maisy Ho Archives and Relics Centre that aim to protect and preserve local traditional culture, as well as 20 traditional service units, offering funeral and burial services, and temple and ritualistic services.

 

 ＊ End ＊

For media enquiry, please contact: 2859 7453 Corporate Communications Division of TWGHs

Photo 1: Ms. Ginny MAN (first row, right), Chairman of Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (2020/2021), and her fellow Members of the Board taking the oath of office.

Photo 2: Dr. TSOI Wing Sing, Ken (Left), BBS, Chairman of Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (2019/2020), handing over the title deeds and seals to Ms. Ginny MAN (Right), Chairman of Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (2020/2021).

Photo 3: The Executive Committee, comprising of Ms. Ginny MAN, the Chairman (front row, centre), Mr. TAM Chun Kwok, Kazaf, the 1st Vice-Chairman (front row, left 1), Mr. MA Ching Yeung, Philip, the 2nd Vice-Chairman (front row, right 1), Mr. WAI Ho Man, Herman, the 3rd Vice-Chairman (back row, right 2), Ms. TANG Ming Wai, Mandy, the 4th Vice-Chairman (back row, left 2), Mr. HO Yau Kai, Orlando, the 5th Vice-Chairman (back row, right 1), and Mr. Albert Y.O. SU (back row, left 1), Chief Executive, assists the Board of Directors in governing the Group.

Photo 4: Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Board of Directors 2020/2021