Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ5: Chinese medicine hospital
Following is a question by the Hon Mrs Regina Ip and a reply by the Secretary
for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, in the Legislative Council today
(July 12):
Question:
The Chief Executive of the last term announced in the 2014 Policy Address that a
site in Tseung Kwan O had been reserved for the development of a Chinese
medicine hospital, which will be operated on a self-financing basis under the
integrated Chinese-Western medicine service model. He further stated in this
year's Policy Address that the Government had decided to finance the
construction of the hospital and invite the Hospital Authority (HA) to assist in
identifying a suitable non-profit-making organisation by tender to take forward
the project and operate the hospital. In this connection, will the Government
inform this Council:
(1) whether it has formulated the details of the integrated Chinese-Western
medicine service model to be adopted by the Chinese medicine hospital; if so, of
the details (including the specific division of labour between the Chinese and
Western medicine practitioners as well as their respective responsibilities and
authority); if not, when the Government plans to announce such details;
(2) whether it knows the criteria to be adopted by HA for selecting a
non-profit-making organisation to operate the Chinese medicine hospital; whether
the Government and HA will, in future, provide assistance to the
non-profit-making organisation which has successfully bid for the project in
taking forward the project and operating the Chinese medicine hospital; if so,
of the details; and
(3) in order to tie in with the long-term development of the Chinese medicine
hospital, whether the Government will create a supernumerary directorate post
dedicated to planning, coordinating, promoting and overseeing the development of
the Chinese medicine hospital?
Reply:
President,
The Government has all along been committed to promoting the development of
Chinese medicine in Hong Kong. To this end, the Government established the
Chinese Medicine Development Committee (CMDC) in 2013 to explore the long-term
development needs of the Chinese medicine sector so as to facilitate Chinese
medicine to play a more active role in public health.
Among others, the Government announced in the 2014 Policy Address its decision
to reserve a site in Tseung Kwan O, originally earmarked for private hospital
development, to set up a Chinese medicine hospital. In the same year, the
Government invited Hospital Authority (HA) to launch the Integrated
Chinese-Western Medicine (ICWM) Pilot Programme to explore the feasible clinical
framework and gain experience for the provision of Chinese medicine in-patient
services and the development of the Chinese medicine hospital. All along, the
Government has been working closely with the CMDC to study the mode of
development for the Chinese medicine hospital which is suitable for Hong Kong.
As the first Chinese medicine hospital in Hong Kong, the Government considers
that it is necessary to allow flexibility and room for its future development
and therefore agrees with the CMDC's recommendations that the Chinese medicine
hospital should be a non-public hospital and be operated by non-profit-making
organisation(s) on a self-financing basis. The Chinese medicine hospital will
provide ICWM in-patient services with Chinese medicine having the predominant
role. The hospital will also support the teaching, clinical training and
scientific research of higher education institutions in Hong Kong, including the
Schools of Chinese Medicine of three universities.
During January to May in 2016, the Government invited non-binding expression of
interest from non-profit-making organisations which are interested in developing
and operating a Chinese medicine hospital. Responding non-profit-making
organisations generally consider that they could hardly afford the enormous cost
of constructing the Chinese medicine hospital without financial support from the
Government. After thorough deliberation, the Government announced in the 2017
Policy Address that it has decided to finance the construction of a Chinese
medicine hospital and invite the HA to assist in identifying a suitable
non-profit-making organisation by tender to take forward the project and operate
the hospital.
As the provision of Chinese medicine hospital services is unprecedented,
detailed and careful consideration of various factors, including the following
challenges, is necessary when planning for the Chinese medicine hospital:
establishing a framework for and experience in the operation of a Chinese
medicine hospital;
meeting the developmental needs of the Chinese medicine sector;
ensuring effective provision of ICWM in-patient services with Chinese medicine
having the predominant role;
making sustainable financial arrangement;
ensuring effective management of the operation contract; and
facilitating the co-operation between the Chinese medicine hospital and the
educational, training and research institutions.
Today, I would like to take this opportunity to provide an update on the latest
development of the Chinese medicine hospital.
(1) As there is no relevant experience in Hong Kong in planning the development
of a Chinese medicine hospital and the healthcare system of Hong Kong is
different from those in the Mainland and overseas countries in terms of legal
and regulatory regimes, there is no identical precedent to model on. Although
the HA has gained experience in the provision of ICWM in-patient services, there
are areas which still need to be examined when the ICWM model with Chinese
medicine having the predominant role is put into clinical practice. These
include collaboration between Chinese medicine practitioners and Western
medicine doctors, design of clinical pathways, clinical accountability, review
and monitoring systems, patients' safety and rights, and ways to handle the
assessment, treatment and follow-up of patients in different treatment episodes
under the ICWM approach. The above issues involve complicated legal and
insurance matters which require thorough study and discussion. The adoption of
evidence-based medicine will also be a major challenge to the whole project.
(2) To fully consider the views of stakeholders and provide appropriate
operational conditions, the HA has commissioned an international consultant to
conduct a consultation exercise with local stakeholders and overseas experts
since April 2017 and the exercise is expected to complete at the end of this
year. Upon completion of the consultation and the analysis report, we will
further map out the direction for developing the Chinese medicine hospital with
the HA and relevant parties, and formulate a set of operational requirements
which are practicable and in line with the operational considerations of the
Chinese medicine sector before rolling out the open tender procedures.
(3) The Chief Executive has stated in her Manifesto that a unit dedicated to the
development of Chinese medicine would be set up under the Food and Health
Bureau, and the unit should maintain close liaison with the sector. The Bureau
is now actively following up on the issue including the deployment of manpower
in accordance with the established procedures. The proposed new dedicated unit
will be responsible for the development of Chinese medicine sector in Hong Kong,
including to decide on the position of Chinese medicine in our public healthcare
system, and to plan the operational model of the first Chinese medicine hospital
accordingly. The Government will take forward the work mentioned above step by
step to match with the timing for the Chinese medicine hospital to commence
operation, and report the progress of the development of the Chinese medicine
hospital at an appropriate juncture.
Ends/Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Issued at HKT 15:28
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