Press Releases
SFH on Chinese medicine and medical services in Tin Shui Wai
Following is the transcript of remarks made by the Secretary for Food and
Health, Dr York Chow, at a stand-up media session after officiating at the
launching ceremony of the "Promotion of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China -
Hong Kong Programme" today (November 24):
Reporter: What measures would the Government implement to assist Chinese
medicine?
Secretary for Food and Health: As you know, traditional Chinese medicine is a
primary care service for Hong Kong citizens. In the last few years and also for
the coming two or three years, we will concentrate on opening up of more public
clinics so that we should allow better access of the service by the Hong Kong
citizens and also area for training and development of our Chinese medicine
graduates. In the long run, I think we should also look at specialisation of
Chinese medicine and also hospital in-patient services. At the moment, we have a
few trial wards in the public hospitals where Chinese medical practitioners and
also western doctors are practising side by side. I think there is still at an
early stage. We like to encourage more of those bunch.
Reporter: (Medical services in Tin Shui Wai)
Secretary for Food and Health: At the moment, there is only one primary care
clinic in Tin Shui Wai south area. Most of the citizens from the Tin Shui Wai
north have to travel to Tin Shui Wai south in order to attend the clinic. In the
short term, we like to facilitate those with chronic illnesses so that they can
go to private doctors in Tin Shui Wai north to receive more frequent attention
and consultations from those doctors. They also pay the same fee at $45 per
consultation as the primary care clinic in Hospital Authority. In the longer
term, we would like to have the clinic also extended to Tin Shui Wai north. For
in-patient service, at the moment, most of the patients go to Tuen Mun Hospital
and also Pok Oi Hospital. Pok Oi Hospital has been redeveloped so its increased
capacity has also catered for residents of Tin Shui Wai as well. In the longer
run, we feel that we have about 280,000 population within Tin Shui Wai, we will
seriously consider whether there is a need for a community hospital to be
developed in perhaps within the next ten years or so.
(Please also refer to the
Chinese portion of the transcript)
Ends/Saturday, November 24, 2007
Issued at HKT 16:47
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