Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ18: Registered Chinese medicine practitioners
Following is a question by the Hon Li Kwok-ying and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (January 11):
Question:
I have recently received a submission from a group of Chinese medicine
practitioners (CMPs) in which they hope to strive for the establishment of an
international professional title for CMPs and urge the Government to recognise
"EC" as the formal professional title for registered CMPs (General Practice),
registered CMPs (Acupuncture) and registered CMPs (Bone-setting), and to enact
legislation to forbid the use of this title by unregistered persons. In this
connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it will establish a
formal title for CMPs and enact legislation to regulate the use of this title;
if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
Madam President,
Section 74 and Section 90 of the Chinese Medicine Ordinance (Cap 549) provide
for the titles of registered Chinese medicine practitioners (CMPs) and listed
Chinese medicine practitioners respectively. Registered CMPs are called
"���䤤���ĺz�e���|���U����", "���䤤���ĺz�e���|���U����v", "���U����" or "���U����v" in the Chinese language,
or "registered Chinese medicine practitioner of the Chinese Medicine Council of
Hong Kong" or "registered Chinese medicine practitioner" in the English
language. The description of "����", "�w�b" or "����" in the Chinese language, or
"General Practice", "Acupuncture" or "Bone-setting" in the English language may
be added in brackets after the above-mentioned CMP titles to indicate the stream
of practice in Chinese medicine. As for listed CMPs, they are called "����" or
"����v" in the Chinese language or "Chinese medicine practitioner" in the English
language. Section 108 of the Ordinance prohibits the use of these titles by any
persons who are not CMPs.
The Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board of the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong
Kong (the Board), a statutory body established under the Chinese Medicine
Ordinance, has promulgated the Code of Practice for Registered Chinese Medicine
Practitioners in Hong Kong for registered CMPs and the Code of Practice for
Listed Chinese Medicine Practitioners for listed CMPs to govern the use of the
titles of CMPs and to ensure that CMPs conduct their practice in compliance with
professional standards.
In response to the request of some registered CMPs, the Board discussed in
November 2005 whether "EC" should be recognised as the formal professional
titles for registered CMPs (General Practice), registered CMPs (Acupuncture) and
registered CMPs (Bone-setting). After detailed discussion, the Board came to the
view that the law has already clearly provided for the titles for registered
CMPs and listed CMPs. These titles, as specified in the Ordinance, have been
made widely known to and accepted by the public and professional bodies and
hence should be followed.
Ends/Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Issued at HKT 14:40
NNNN