Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau paid a courtesy call on Chinese Consul General in Zurich and for the Principality of Liechtenstein Chen Yun and visited the University Hospital Zurich on the last day of his Swiss visit yesterday.

Prof Lo and his delegation updated Ms Chen on Hong Kong's latest healthcare developments, including the vision for driving health and medical innovation.

He highlighted that the Chief Executive announced in the 2023 Policy Address that the Hong Kong SAR Government will revamp the prevailing evaluation, approval and registration mechanism for drugs.

The revamp aims to achieve registration of drugs and medical devices under the “primary evaluation” approach, with the long-term objective of establishing an internationally recognised regulatory authority for drugs and medical devices, he added.

In the afternoon, Prof Lo visited the University Hospital Zurich to meet the representatives of its Clinical Trials Center to get a grasp of the centre’s latest achievements in medical research and clinical trials as well as the development of the network of international clinical trial centres.

At the meeting, the health chief briefed the representatives on the Hong Kong SAR Government’s multiple initiatives to push forward the development of clinical trials, particularly the Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute to be established in the Hetao area by year-end.

The delegation has left Switzerland and will arrive in Hong Kong later today.