Sino Group and the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation, its philanthropic arm, are partnering with the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) and the Social Welfare Department to distribute 500 Belun® remoVital remote monitoring systems to residential care homes. The systems will facilitate efficient monitoring and effective follow-ups of elderly and people with disabilities living in residential care homes and with mild COVID-19 symptoms. Distribution has commenced, and is on track for completion by mid-March 2022.
Belun® remoVital remote monitoring system, a Hong Kong home-grown innovation, is a remote, real-time monitoring system comprising FDA 510(k)-cleared Belun® Ring, body temperature probe and a communication hub that enables real-time monitoring of health conditions of patients. It measures and monitors the user’s pivotal physiological parameters including blood oxygen saturation, pulse rate and body temperature. Thanks to its internet-enabled features, real-time alerts of parameters exceeding pre-set thresholds will be issued, enabling prompt actions for patients with abnormal parameters. It also helps to streamline carers’ monitoring routines so that they can better support the patients.
Mr Bernard Chan, GBM, GBS, JP, Chairman of the HKCSS, remarks, ‘The fifth wave of the COVID-19 epidemic situation is particularly challenging, many residents of the residential care homes for the elderly and people with disabilities who have tested positive are required to stay in the care homes. The care homes make the best effort to provide appropriate care for these residents while preventing infection among other residents or staffers. The remote health monitoring system helps the care homes monitor patients’ health conditions, enabling them to provide timely support to the patients when necessary, and better protects the health of residents. I would like to extend my gratitude to Sino Group and the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation for their generous donation of 500 Belun® remoVital remote monitoring systems to benefit more care homes and their residents, and Dr Lam Ching-choi, Chairman of the Elderly Commission for supporting and driving the programme, and the Social Welfare Department for assisting in informing residential care homes for the elderly and people with disabilities of this programme and the relevant application method.’
Mr Daryl Ng, SBS, JP, Deputy Chairman of Sino Group and Director of the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation, says, ‘With the surging numbers of confirmed cases, there is enormous pressure on our public health system as well as care homes where many residents have to undergo quarantine on-site and need medical care. With efficient remote monitoring, carers can support residents in a timely manner. Every support counts as we combat COVID-19 as one community. I would also like to appeal to all, in particular the elderly, to get vaccinated as soon as possible after seeking medical advice.’
Ms Lydia Leung, CEO of Belun Technology Company Limited, says, ‘We are pleased to collaborate with Sino Group, the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation, the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and the Social Welfare Department to help the community fight the pandemic. Belun®️ Ring monitors user’s blood oxygen saturation (SpO2). Monitoring SpO2 within 93% can identify “silent hypoxia”, and this becomes critical to avoid deterioration. We hope the remote monitoring system can help identify quarantine residents who need special and timely attention and alleviate the pressure of care givers.’
The Ng Family, the majority shareholder of Sino Group, is an early investor of Belun Technology Company Limited as it supports innovations and technological development o¬f Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area to build a better community.
In a further effort to support Hong Kong’s development into an international innovation and technology hub, Mr Daryl Ng has founded the Hong Kong Innovation Foundation (HKIF), a holistic innovation ecosystem. HKIF encompasses a wide range of platforms to serve different age groups and sectors; for instance, Go Code project provides complimentary coding classes for primary school students, and OC STEM Lab at Olympian City provides exposure to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), Sino Inno Lab supports start-ups and technology companies by providing a sandbox platform and facilitating co-creation.