Secretary of Health Prof Lo Chung-mau today visited Shanghai and met Shanghai Municipal Health Commission Deputy Director General Prof Luo Meng as well as attended a forum on Shanghai public hospitals.

During his meeting with Prof Luo, the health secretary expressed gratitude to the commission for its continuous support to the two-way healthcare talent training and exchanges between Hong Kong and Shanghai.

In particular, the Hospital Authority has established a talent exchange channel with three hospitals in Shanghai - Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University, Renji Hospital and Shanghai Children's Medical Center affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.

The bilateral talent exchange covers multiple specialties such as cardiology, anesthesiology, endoscopy and organ transplantation, with eight doctors from Shanghai and Hong Kong having participated in the clinical exchanges so far, while arrangements for next year will be implemented gradually.

Prof Lo added that digital healthcare collaboration with the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission will be proactively explored, including facilitation arrangement for cross-boundary use of electronic health records to dovetail with cross-boundary medical collaboration programmes and support citizens’ cross-boundary medical needs.

“We will also promote exchanges and collaboration in the field of medical innovation and technology, with the aim to leverage the unique advantages of the two places to support clinical diagnosis and treatment, new drug research and development as well as public health research, thereby driving further the medical development of the two places."

In the morning, Prof Lo attended the Fifth High Quality Development Forum of Shanghai Public Hospitals and the 180th Anniversary of Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.

He delivered a speech at the forum’s opening ceremony and introduced the latest progress and related work of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in encouraging public hospitals to participate in the Hospital Accreditation Programme.

"The Hospital Authority is encouraging Hong Kong public hospitals to adopt the China's International Hospital Accreditation Standards for the Hospital Accreditation Programme. In 2023-24, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital resumed the Hospital Accreditation Programme by adopting the International Standards.”

On-site accreditation surveys for the two hospitals are planned to take place in the fourth quarter of this year to ensure the hospital management, service level and healthcare quality are on par with the international standards, Prof Lo said.

The authority is drawing up a timetable for other public hospitals to get accredited by the international standards in the coming year, and the preliminary plan is to roll out the programme in two to three other public hospitals, he added.

After the forum, the health chief visited the Shanghai Children's Medical Center affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, which has a talent exchange mechanism established with the authority.

Starting this year, the two parties have arranged for healthcare staff to conduct reciprocal visits, enabling two-way training and exchanges.