Speeches

HK Society of Medical Professionals
2nd "Sustainable Table" event
Speech by Prof Sophia Chan Secretary for Food and Health
23 March 2018

Dr. Bernard Kong (Founding President of Hong Kong Society of Medical Professionals),
distinguished guests,friends, ladies and gentlemen,

 

1. Good evening. I am most delighted to join the 2nd Sustainable Table organized by the Hong Kong Society of Medical Professionals. On this occasion, may I wish you all another year of health and prosperity. As the event this evening is about good and healthy food, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you some information on healthy eating.
2. It gives me great pleasure to join you at the opening of this year’s Medical Forum organised by the Department of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (“HKU”). First of all, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all our distinguished guests, especially those who have travelled to Hong Kong from around the world. I trust that you will enjoy our hospitality and wish you a wonderful stay with us here.
3. A healthcare system of high quality and efficiency is the cornerstone of social development. Over the years, Hong Kong has developed a healthcare system that provides quality services for the community. We have made outstanding achievements on healthcare, and healthcare professions have upheld high professional and ethical standards. Our health indicators such as life expectancy and infant mortality rank among the best in the world.
4. To ensure the long-term sustainable development of our healthcare system, the Hong Kong SAR Government has increased its recurrent expenditure on healthcare annually by an average of seven per cent over the past decade. The expenditure on public healthcare services will increase by 13.3 per cent compared with last year to HK$71.2 billion in 2018-19, which accounts for 17.5 per cent of the total government recurrent expenditure. We are also pressing ahead with the 10-year hospital development plan for which HK$200 billion has been earmarked.
5. The Government has also set up a steering committee on primary healthcare development to draw up a development blueprint. We will also establish a district health centre in Kwai Tsing district within two years with a view to enhancing public awareness of disease prevention, self-management of health through public-private partnership, providing support for the chronically ill and relieving the pressure on specialist and hospital services. We will progressively set up district health centres in other districts. What’s more, we are also planning in full steam the development of the first Chinese medicine hospital in Hong Kong and promoting advancements in medical technology for better outcomes to our citizens’ health.
6. The Government also attaches great importance to the training of healthcare professionals. We have set aside a sum of HK$300 billion as an initial provision to support and increase the upgrading of healthcare teaching facilities, together with the second 10-year hospital development plan and improvement of clinic facilities of the Department of Health. Some additional HK$200 million will be allocated each year to enhance the healthcare professional training provided by the Hospital Authority, including clinical practicum, as well as specialist and higher training. At the same time, another HK$45 million more will be allocated each year to strengthen the services of nurse clinics in specialist outpatient services and enhance pharmacy services in public hospitals in a bid to enhancing the role of our multi-disciplinary healthcare team in care delivery.
7. We are grateful to see the robust efforts from the Department of Medicine of HKU in providing continuing professional education to healthcare professionals of different disciplines and subspecialties annually through holding the Hong Kong Medical Forum. The Forum provides an invaluable opportunity for distinguished speakers to share their expertise and knowledge as well as the most recent medical advances in their specialties. Medical advancement calls for constant update of knowledge for all healthcare professionals in practice. I congratulate the Department of Medicine on hosting this prestigious event. The theme of this year’s forum is “Honouring the Legacy – Striving for Clinical Mastery”. I trust that this Forum would be another great success in pursuing excellence in the clinical sector. It is my pleasure to declare the Forum open and I wish you all a rewarding exchange. Thank you.