Editorial | Hong Kong well set to raise the global bar for Chinese medicine
A new blueprint and hospital could be just the right medicine to help achieve the central government’s goals for the Greater Bay Area
The “Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint” unveiled on Thursday aims to leverage the city’s strengths to set international standards and raise professional competence in the use of medicinal products that have been developed in China over thousands of years.
The Hong Kong blueprint included 20 actions to enhance the services, profession, product quality, culture and international development of Chinese medicine. The city is well placed to push such development because of its international reputation and comprehensive registration and monitoring system.
Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said the city could serve as a “bridgehead for Chinese medicine to go global” not only because of its standards, but also because of its service model which incorporates both Chinese and Western medicine.
The hospital has 22 Chinese medicine practitioners, five doctors and more than 200 support staff. Patients have already fully booked all subsidised general outpatient services available for the first month – choosing from options to receive pure Chinese medicine treatment, a second type where traditional practice plays a predominant role or care that integrates Chinese and Western medicine.