Boards and Committees

2018 Policy Agenda
(Paragraphs on development of Chinese medicine)

Chapter 6 - Building a Caring, Inclusive Society, Improving People’s Livelihood

Positioning and Long-term Development of Chinese Medicine

• Recognise Chinese medicine services as an integral part of the development of the healthcare system in Hong Kong by providing defined Chinese medicine services with government subsidy through:
  • the future Chinese medicine hospital (CMH) offering a combination of in-patient and out-patient services;
  • Chinese medicine out-patient services in 18 Chinese Medicine Centres for Training and Research at district level; and
  • in-patient services with Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine treatment in specific public hospitals. (FHB) (New Initiative)
• A dedicated $500 million fund has been established and managed by the Chinese Medicine Unit of the Food and Health Bureau (FHB) to promote the development of Chinese medicine. The fund will be used to provide support in areas such as applied research, Chinese medicine specialisation, knowledge exchange and cross-market co-operation, and help local Chinese medicines traders with the production and registration of Chinese proprietary medicines. (FHB) (New Initiative)
• The FHB has set up a dedicated unit to oversee the development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong, including deciding the positioning of Chinese medicine in the public healthcare system. A dedicated unit, the Chinese Medicine Hospital Project Office, has also been set up under the FHB to oversee the development of the first CMH. (FHB)
• To cater for the development of Chinese medicine, we will include information about Chinese medicine in the sharable scope of the Electronic Health Record Sharing System, continue to standardize clinical and medical terminologies of Chinese medicine, and develop the Chinese Medicine Information System On-ramp so as to facilitate the access to and sharing of patients’ information by Chinese medicine practitioners who choose to use the system in the future. (FHB)
• Continue to gauge the views of the trade and relevant stakeholders through the Chinese Medicine Development Committee to help formulate and review the policy relating to the development of the Chinese medicine. Views on the development of the CMH will also be sought. (FHB)
• On the development of the CMH, the proposed CMH will be constructed by the Government and operated by a non-profitmaking organisation. The CMH, offering 400 beds in phases, will provide in-patient and out-patient services. We expect to commence the tendering procedures for selecting an operator in the second half of 2019. (FHB)
• To provide the healthcare professionals required by the CMH for the provision of integrated Chinese-Western medicine services with Chinese medicine playing a predominant role, we will organise various training courses with universities and other institutes, including relevant courses for registered Chinese medicine practitioners, Chinese medicine pharmacists, medical practitioners, nurses and other healthcare professionals. (FHB)

（Full Document of 2018 Policy Agenda）