Hong Kong – Primary Healthcare Committee holds its first meeting today (with photos)

     Following the official establishment of the Primary Healthcare Commission (PHC Commission) on July 15, the Commissioner for Primary Healthcare, Dr Pang Fei-chau, chaired the first meeting of the Primary Healthcare Committee (PHC Committee) today (August 26) and discussed with members the future work focuses of the PHC Commission.
 
     At the meeting, Committee members had a discussion over the governance structure of the PHC Commission, including the establishment of working groups to facilitate the effective advancement of primary healthcare development in the realm of co-ordination and supervision of primary healthcare services and strengthening the work of District Health Centres (DHCs).
 
     The DHCs have been co-ordinating the primary healthcare services in the community and shouldering the role of case managers as well as connecting healthcare professionals in public and private sectors to build up a community service network. Committee members discussed at the meeting ways to further expand the community healthcare network through enlisting more healthcare professionals from different disciplines to join the primary healthcare services, thereby providing more comprehensive and quality-assured primary healthcare support to citizens.
 
     Committee members were also briefed on the progress of the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme. They were glad to learn that the Pilot Scheme has recorded nearly 60 000 participants so far and the PHC Commission is pursuing promotion with the DHCs to attract more citizens to the Pilot Scheme via various territory-wide and district-based channels.
 
     Established on July 15, the PHC Committee is responsible for advising the PHC Commission from multiple perspectives, with a view to assisting the PHC Commission in effectively performing its functions and exercising its powers. The Committee comprises ex-officio members and non-official members. The latter covers persons from different professional backgrounds, including professionals from family medicine, Chinese medicine, dentistry and other professional sectors. The membership list is as follows: 
 
Chairperson
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Commissioner for Primary Healthcare
 
Non-official members
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Dr David Chao Vai-kiong
Dr Kam Pok-man
Dr Lam Ching-choi
Dr Lam Wing-wo
Mr Lawrence Lee Kam-hung
Professor Gabriel Matthew Leung
Dr Sigmund Leung Sai-man
Ms Ellen Li Ka-yan
Dr Donald Li Kwok-tung
Dr Alexander Ng Man-tat
Professor Marco Pang Yiu-chung
Professor Agnes Tiwari Fung-yee
Dr Tse Sut-yee
Professor Ian Wong Chi-kei
Professor Samuel Wong Yeung-shan 
 
Ex-officio members
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Deputy Secretary for Health (or representative)
Deputy Director of Health (or representative)
Deputy Secretary for Labour and Welfare/Deputy Director of Social Welfare (or representative)
Deputy Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs (or representative)
Deputy Director of Home Affairs (or representative)
Director (Strategy and Planning), Hospital Authority (or representative)
Chief Manager (Nursing), Hospital Authority (or representative)