Chris Sun praises 24-hour hotline for carers

A 24-hour hotline for carers has been praised by Chris Sun, the Secretary for Labor and Welfare, who claims that it provides significant support to individuals who are in need.

The hotline was set up by the government last September and gets some 80 calls a day on average, with most callers seeking counseling or community support services.

Speaking on a program "Your Home Address", which discusses government policies with senior officials, Sun said the hotline 182183 comes in handy for carers in times of need.

"I can guarantee you there'll be a real person answering your call, not just give you the counseling. Say if you have all the people you're taking care of, you need a half a day relief, call them," the minister said.

"They will find you a place, just a place to give you half a day off or even a whole day off. You say, 'I don't have the money.' We're going to pay for it... If you're really in big trouble, a social worker will come to you right at the moment."

Regarding government initiatives to draw talent to the city, Sun stated that there is a roughly 100,000 labor deficit across a range of industries, and officials are hopeful that diverse talent schemes would aid in attracting individuals to Hong Kong.

Sun said the government's talent engage office in Wan Chai and its online platform provides a one-stop shop to help new arrivals find solutions for the different problems they face.

The minister called this a big improvement, saying nothing was done in the past to help those who came to Hong Kong through different talent schemes.