Hong Kong’s first traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital will be launched in phases from December 11 this year. On September 9, the hospital signed a cooperation agreement with Hong Kong Baptist University, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong to become a three-university Chinese medicine teaching hospital.
It is a milestone in the development of Chinese medicine services, teaching and training as well as scientific research in Hong Kong, the Secretary for Medical and health, Lo Chung Mau Long, was quoted as saying on the 10th. The three schools will cooperate in hospital governance, Personnel Exchange, medical services, teaching and training, and scientific research to jointly promote the high-quality development of local Chinese medicine and contribute to the development of Chinese medicine in the country.
According to the dean of the School of Chinese medicine of the Hong Kong Baptist University, Li Min Long, the Chinese Medicine Hospital will provide local clinical training opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate students of Chinese medicine and become an important training base for Chinese medicine professionals. Hospital chief executive officer Bian Zhaoxiang said the hospital will be launched in phases, the first year will mainly provide outpatient and day hospital services, the second year to provide full inpatient services. In addition to pure Chinese medicine, clinical services will also provide Chinese medicine-based and chinese-western medicine collaboration model.
It is understood that the Chinese Medicine Hospital is located at Pak Shing Kok, Tseung Kwan O. It covers an area of about 42,900 square meters and has an 8-storey building with 400 beds, these include 250 inpatient beds, 90 day beds, 40 paediatric beds and 20 beds in clinical trials and research centres. In addition, the hospital has 70 consultation rooms, 45 treatment rooms, Chinese and Western pharmacies, diagnostic radiology and endoscopy facilities. There are also teaching and research facilities such as clinical trial and research centres, lecture halls, seminar facilities and skills and demonstration centres. It is estimated that the number of out-patient visits will increase from 60000 in the first year to about 400000 in the future, with government-subsidised and market-oriented services accounting for 65 per cent and 35 per cent of the services respectively. Bian Zhaoxiang revealed that the recruitment work for the traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital is coming to an end. At present, internal training is mainly being carried out. The number of people registered online in the hospital talent pool is about 1,000, and more than 70 percent of them are traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, there are also professionals such as Western medicine, pharmacists and nurses.
After the return of Hong Kong, Chinese medicine ushered in a new turning point. In his first policy address in 1997, the first Chief Executive, Donald Tung Chee Hwa, set the direction for the development of Chinese medicine with the objective of developing Hong Kong into an international centre for Chinese medicine. In 1999, the SAR government enacted the Chinese Medicine Ordinance, formally establishing the statutory professional status of Chinese medicine. In 2018, Chinese Medicine was incorporated into the public health care system in Hong Kong, including the provision of specific out-patient services in Chinese medicine clinics in 18 districts. At present, there are more than 8,000 registered Chinese medicine practitioners in Hong Kong, and a stringent regulatory regime for Chinese medicines has been put in place. More than 4,000 proprietary Chinese medicines in Hong Kong and the mainland have been registered.
SARS broke out in 2003. At the invitation of Hong Kong Hospital Authority, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese medicine sent two TCM doctors to Hong Kong to help fight the disease. They adopt the combination of Chinese and Western medicine, quickly and effectively alleviate the symptoms of SARS patients, causing widespread concern. According to a 2022 survey conducted by the School of Chinese Medicine of Baptist University, 65% of respondents would take Chinese medicine or herbal tea to prevent influenza, and nearly 90% believed that Chinese medicine could treat influenza. After the covid-19 epidemic, many respondents considered TCM as an effective medical treatment, such as regulating the body (92.8%) , reducing side effects (68.8%) and curing the disease (39.3%) .
Hong Kong residents have become more aware of the value of Chinese medicine and nursing care after the coronavirus outbreak, and have become a catalyst for the development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong, the Ta Kung Pao said Monday. As the flagship institution in the development of Chinese medicine, the Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Hospital will upgrade the Chinese medicine service to a new level. The article said that Hong Kong has a superb level of western medicine, as well as a high level of research and application of Chinese medicine, and has an advantage that can not be replaced by other parts of the mainland in promoting Chinese medicine internationally, hong Kong can play its part in promoting Chinese civilization, telling the Chinese story and promoting human well-being. (leaf blue)