MR CHAN KIN-POR (in Chinese): It has been reported that a number of violent incidents and family tragedies suspected to be related to patients with mental illness occurred earlier on. There are analyses pointing out that the anti-epidemic measures implemented in the past two-odd years may have affected the rehabilitation and community support services provided for patients with mental illness, and that the social distancing measures and “restriction-testing declaration” operations have also increased their mental stress, rendering them more prone to bouts of their illness. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it has compiled statistics on the number of violent incidents relating to patients with mental illness which occurred in the past two years;
(2) whether it has assessed the impacts of the anti-epidemic measures implemented in the past two-odd years on the treatment, rehabilitation and community support services provided for patients with mental illness; and
(3) whether the Government will consider allocating additional resources after the epidemic to resume and increase the treatment, rehabilitation and community support services provided for patients with mental illness?
The written reply provided by the Secretary for Food and Health on 4 May 2022 is in Appendix.