Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau met a delegation led by Hainan Vice Governor Xie Jing today to introduce the initiatives on developing Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub as set out in the 2024 Policy Address.
 
At the meeting, Prof Lo updated the delegation on the latest development of Hong Kong’s healthcare policy, including initiatives put forward in the Policy Address, including complementing technological innovation with institutional innovation through expediting the reform of the approval mechanism for drugs and medical devices, and strengthening research and development and translation of biomedical technology.
 
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will support the innovation and application of advanced biomedical technology, with a view to attracting the world’s top-notch biomedical enterprises and research organisations to set up operations in Hong Kong, Prof Lo stressed.
 
Additionally, the progress of hospital accreditation of public hospitals in the Hong Kong SAR through the adoption of “China’s International Hospital Accreditation Standards (2021 Version)” was discussed during the meeting.
 
Prof Lo pointed out that the Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to actively promote the adoption of the accreditation standards by more public hospitals, including extending the adoption of the standards to two to three more public hospitals in addition to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital.
 
The participation of public hospitals in the accreditation programme can serve as a demonstration to the international community the national hospital accreditation standards, with Hong Kong acting as a gateway to facilitate the national standards to go global, he highlighted.
 
In this connection, both parties also explored ways to further encourage more hospitals in the two places to pursue accreditation so as to amplify the impact of the standards.
 
“Looking ahead, we will remain committed to fostering cross-boundary medical co-operation so as to propel the important national strategy of ‘Healthy China’ through concerted contributions,” the health chief added.