Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau visited the Chinese Medicine Clinic & Training & Research Centre (CMCTR) in Kwai Tsing today to get a better grasp of its operation and involvement in integrated Chinese-Western medicine (ICWM) treatment services.

Prof Lo met Chairman of the Board of Directors of Yan Chai Hospital Mary Suen to learn more about the government-subsidised outpatient services provided by the CMCTR.

Noting that Chinese medicine (CM) constitutes an integral part of the healthcare system in Hong Kong, Prof Lo said the Government has long been committed to driving CM development in Hong Kong, with a view to establishing a comprehensive network for delivering government-subsidised CM services to the public.

The Government will increase the quota of government-subsidised CM outpatient services at the CMCTRs in the 18 districts by the end of this year to implement the policy initiative of raising the service quota to 800,000 per year as outlined in last year’s Policy Address, thus further reinforcing the role of CM at the primary healthcare level.

During the meeting, Prof Lo fully recognised the contributions of CM practitioners of the CMCTR in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic and said that he was pleased to learn that the CMCTR has geared up to take forward the Government's policy of increasing the quota of subsidised outpatient services by the end of this year.

He added that he is confident that the CMCTR will be able to provide strengthened services to the local community by then.

The CM team of the CMCTR in Kwai Tsing works closely with the Western medicine team of Princess Margaret Hospital to provide ICWM services for cancer patients receiving palliative treatment. Prof Lo pointed out that he is pleased to see the seamless collaboration of the two parties.

He also expressed his appreciation and support for the CMCTR's active participation in clinical research projects.

The Hospital Authority has been progressively extending ICWM services with respect to stroke care to its public hospitals across all seven hospital clusters in 2023-24. The authority will also further explore the commencement of ICWM services with respect to cancer care to support patients in different cancer stages.

The CMCTRs offer eligible Hong Kong residents government-subsidised CM outpatient services at the district level, including treatment-related services in the field of CM outpatient, acupuncture and bone setting or tui-na.

In addition to providing patients with options of non-government-subsidised services, the CMCTRs bear the functions of nurturing CM talent and taking forward scientific research projects.