Hong Kong actively participates in 4th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Conference on Inheritance, Innovation and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine (with photos)
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The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, attended the 4th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Conference on Inheritance, Innovation and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine and delivered a speech at the opening ceremony via video conferencing today (August 25).
“Chinese medicine (CM) is an integral part of the healthcare system of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government expresses its sincere gratitude to the relevant Mainland ministries and commissions as well as experts for their staunch support and guidance on the development of CM in Hong Kong. The HKSAR Government will further enhance Hong Kong’s role under the blueprint set out in the Construction Plan for the Chinese Medicine Highlands in the GBA (2020-2025), actively co-ordinate among stakeholders of Hong Kong’s CM sector to integrate into the overall development of CM in the nation and the GBA, and support the implementation of various policies and measures to give full play to Hong Kong’s unique advantages,” Professor Lo said.
Professor Lo pointed out in his speech that, under the framework of the construction of CM highlands in the GBA, Hong Kong has been making remarkable achievements in areas such as the training and exchange of talents, CM service development, standard setting and industry development of CM drugs. In the future, the co-operation can be further deepened with a view to giving more impetus to the development of CM in Hong Kong. Hong Kong will also fully utilise its important role as the country’s window to the international markets in promoting inheritance, innovation and co-operation in CM in the GBA, and playing a more important role in promoting the area of internationalisation and standard setting of CM, among others.
Co-organised by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Bureau of Guangdong Province, the Health Bureau of the HKSAR Government, the Health Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government and the Zhongshan Municipal People’s Government, the conference this year aimed to promote in-depth integration and development of CM in the GBA, and implement the Outline Development Plan for the GBA as well as the Construction Plan for the Chinese Medicine Highlands in the GBA (2020-2025). The main conference venue was in Zhongshan, with attendance covering officials from the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NATCM), relevant GBA ministries/commissions, academicians, CM masters, CM experts, representatives from enterprises, and more. The participants conducted in-depth exchange, exploration and co-operation on the theme of “Building CM Highlands in GBA through Inheritance and Innovation”.
To enable more stakeholders of Hong Kong’s CM sector to participate in this major event, the Chinese Medicine Unit of the Health Bureau set up a Hong Kong sub-venue at the Central Government Offices with a live-feed connection to the main venue. Due to inclement weather, the Hong Kong sub-venue switched to a hybrid mode of in-person and remote attendance, recording an attendance of nearly 150 CM stakeholders. Representatives from the Health Bureau, the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority also participated.
In the afternoon, Vice Commissioner of the NATCM Professor Huang Luqi convened the Seminar on Promoting the Development of CM Highlands in GBA, which was attended by relevant government officials and representatives of organisations in the GBA to discuss how to further promote exchanges and co-operation in CM, and the use of CM in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, among others.
Professor Lo said, “With the staunch support of the motherland, the HKSAR Government and the CM sector have been working together to take forward a wide range of anti-epidemic work, enabling the in-depth participation of CM in the whole process of epidemic prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, thereby making important contributions to the fight against the epidemic. The HKSAR Government is grateful to the nation for its unwavering support for Hong Kong’s anti-epidemic work, including sending a team of CM experts to Hong Kong to offer guidance and assisting Hong Kong in stabilising the supply of anti-epidemic proprietary Chinese medicines.
“The HKSAR Government will continue to step up its efforts in promoting the development of CM and actively participate in the construction of CM highlands in the GBA, as well as strengthen exchanges and co-operation among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, so as to join hands in driving the construction of CM highlands in the GBA and integration into the national development of the Healthy China Initiative.”