'Mental health services at schools need improvements'
The chairman of the advisory committee on mental health, Lam Ching-choi, said on Sunday there is a need to improve mental health prevention and support services at schools. On a TVB programme, Lam said authorities are looking into measures to address mental health issues, as a three-tier school-based emergency system aimed at preventing suicides among secondary school pupils is set to end this month. He said it is important to conduct preventive work – such as establishing a pleasant learning environment – and suggested schools should encourage students to exercise at least one hour per day. "When we talk about catching up on the curriculum, we must not forget the basics. If we don't give [pupils] enough time to exercise, rest or even sleep, how can our students study hard? These are things that we cannot ignore," he said. Meanwhile, Lam said the aim of a proposed review on fees for emergency services at public hospitals is to change people's habits when they are seeking medical help. "Reviewing accidental and emergency (A&E) fees is not about earning a bit more. The most important thing is how we can rationalise people's healthcare-seeking habits," the Exco member said. "As we have not adjusted our fees for many years, the difference in charges by A&E departments and private doctors has become wider, and certainly some people have sought medical treatment in A&E departments due to financial incentives." The government earlier floated the idea of looking into A&E attendance fees, with health secretary Lo Chung-mau suggesting that increased charges could deter people from abusing these services. The current fee for A&E services at public hospitals in the SAR has remained unchanged at HK$180 since 2017.