Speeches

Speech by SFH at
Opening Ceremony of the 5th Asian Nephrology Nursing Symposium
Hong Kong Association of Renal Nurses
9 September 2017

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Ms LAW (Man-ching), distinguished guests and speakers, ladies and gentlemen,

 

  1. It gives me great pleasure in joining you all this afternoon at the 5th Asian Nephrology Nursing Symposium. Let me begin by extending a warm welcome to all our celebrated speakers and guests, especially those who have travelled all the way to Hong Kong.
  2. Hong Kong’s healthcare system is renowned for its high quality and efficiency. Our achievements have been consistently recognised internationally through a series of health indications, such as life expectancy, infant and maternal mortality as well as health economic parameters. This would not be possible without our dedicated professionals, many of whom are with us today.
  3. Nowadays, our healthcare services delivery model has evolved from the traditional emphasis on a doctor centred approach to a multidisciplinary approach led by a team of professionals including doctors, nurses, and other allied health colleagues on diseases management, health maintenance and enhancement of quality of life.
  4. Nurses are the backbone of the health care systems in Hong Kong. In terms of the nursing population, our nurses make up the majority of the healthcare professionals in Hong Kong. With more rigorous and sophisticated training, nurses in Hong Kong have taken up multi-facet roles in patient care. Other than the traditional mode of care delivery at the frontline with round-the-clock direct patient care provided in the hospital setting, nurses are reaching out to the community by taking up more and more direct patient contact and clinical roles at the primary care level, as community nurses and case managers, and managing nurse clinics.
  5. Amongst the various nursing disciplines, nephology nursing covers areas including preventive renal care, peritoneal dialysis care, haemodialysis care, renal replacement therapies, kidney transplantation and renal palliative care. With the advanced technology in medical diagnostic and screening tests on renal disorders, renal nurses would need to continue upgrade themselves with specialized skills and knowledge of renal disorders, application of peritoneal dialysis and haemodialysis, care management of a patient with acute and chronic renal failure in hospitals and home care settings.
  6. Meanwhile, the government will continue to allocate resources to ensure that all of our healthcare professionals, including our nurses, are maintaining world-class standards and always keep abreast with the latest medical advancement and technologies. I am confident that our nursing colleagues would continue to strive for self-development and betterment of patient care for the benefit of the whole community.
  7. I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Hong Kong Association of Renal Nurses for organizing the 5th Asian Nephrology Nursing Symposium which provides us with an excellent platform to share the best practice and development in renal care around the world. I wish the Association every success in its future endeavors in ensuring and elevating renal care for the overall benefit of our society.
  8. Lastly, I believe that all of you are aware of the establishment of the new government term on 1 July 2017. As the Secretary for Food and Health, to safeguard public health, provide quality medical services, ensure food safety and environmental hygiene as well as assisting the sustainable development of fishery and agriculture will be top priorities on my agenda. My team and I will continue to work hard for the betterment of Hong Kong.
  9. I wish the symposium every success in enhancing the overall quality of renal care to our patients. Thank you.
12 Apr 2019