Recently, the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital has seen encouraging developments in two vital services dedicated to saving young lives.

The Hong Kong Breast Milk Bank which we operate has just marked its first anniversary. We have been working tirelessly to supply donated breast milk to the neonatal intensive care units across public hospitals, supporting premature and critically ill babies. The Hospital Authority’s efforts in promoting this new concept of breast milk donation have earned gold awards at both the China Golden Awards for Excellence in Public Relations, and the Hong Kong Public Relations Awards. In this first year, the bank collected over 2700 litres of breast milk, benefiting more than 400 fragile newborns, a result that far exceeded our expectations. This achievement reflects the trust that donors, recipient families and the public place in our rigorous processes to ensure every drop of milk is safe and of the highest quality.

HKCH also continues to provide testing and follow-up services for the Hospital Authority’s newborn screening programme aimed at the early diagnosis of severe genetic or rare diseases. It has continued to expand, now covering over 30 conditions and being extended to private hospitals through a pilot scheme, with three private hospitals already onboard. By enabling early treatment, this programme not only protects children’s health but also reduces the long-term pressure on the public healthcare system.

Thanks to our teams for their professionalism and to the community for their unwavering trust. Together, let’s continue to safeguard the healthy future of every child.

Dr Lee Tsz-leung, Hospital Chief Executive