Hong Kong introduced a public hospital fee overhaul at the start of the year in response to long-standing pressures from an ageing population, rising chronic diseases and growing expenditure. Early data from the Hospital Authority suggests the fee increases are having an effect. From January 1-18, semi-urgent and non-urgent cases at accident and emergency (A&E)…
About 40 per cent of Hongkongers struggle to distinguish between proprietary Chinese medicine and health supplements, according to a survey by a think tank that has developed a tool to assess public literacy in the traditional discipline. Our Hong Kong Foundation on Thursday released the findings of a survey conducted last August, using the tool…
China’s top health official has called on Hong Kong to serve as a key pillar in promoting traditional Chinese medicine globally, as the city’s leader pledged to align local policies with the national development strategy in the field. At a launch ceremony for the Chinese Medicine Hospital and nearby testing institute on Tuesday, National Health…
About 85 per cent of those injured in the deadly Tai Po fire in Hong Kong have been discharged, while the rest are in a stable condition, according to health authorities. The Health Bureau also said on Wednesday that 63 affected residents received free family doctor consultations, 18 received free denture replacements in private dental…
Hong Kong’s Hung Shui Kiu industrial park will leverage its location advantage to focus on advanced manufacturing, including proprietary Chinese medicine products, in a bid to differentiate itself from the San Tin Technopole, according to development authorities. While the government has yet to set key performance indicators (KPIs) for the company operating the park, a…
Traditional Chinese medical practitioners in Hong Kong will work more closely with their Western medicine counterparts in pain management and post-illness recovery, according to the city’s health officials. Chinese medicine will also play a bigger role in primary healthcare, with authorities to prepare a list of illnesses for patients who are advised to consult medical…
Hong Kong health authorities will guide residents on when to seek Chinese medicine treatment, identifying conditions where it is considered more effective than the Western practice in the sector’s development blueprint. Commissioner for Chinese Medicine Development Vincent Chung Chi-ho said on Saturday that only 9 per cent of the about 10,000 Chinese medicine practitioners in…
Hong Kong has launched its first-ever blueprint for the Chinese medicine sector’s development, with authorities seeking to raise the competence of practitioners and product standards as part of efforts to enhance the industry’s status. The “Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint” was unveiled by the government on Thursday and covers five key categories: services; the profession itself;…
Hong Kong’s first hospital offering Chinese medicine services opened its doors on Thursday, with its subsidised general outpatient services already fully booked for the first month. The flagship facility, located on Pak Shing Kok Road in Tseung Kwan O, is not only a healthcare service provider but also a training and research hub tasked with…
Hong Kong customs officers have uncovered the department’s largest-ever case involving counterfeit goods sold online, arresting seven people and seizing HK$15 million (US$1.9 million) worth of items, including bogus medications and fake Louis Vuitton and Hermès handbags. Hong Yan, a senior inspector with the Customs and Excise Department’s intellectual property general investigation unit, said officers…