The Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, today (November 28) hosted a sharing session for over 110 healthcare students from the University of Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Hong Kong Baptist University to listen to  their views on healthcare training and the development of healthcare services in Hong Kong.
 
     Professor Chan complimented the young students on their career choices and encouraged them to serve with professionalism and dedication for the health service needs of the community. 
 
     "The median age of Hong Kong has been on the rise - from 36.8 in 2001 to 41.7 in 2011 - and is expected to rise to 45 in 2021. Life expectancy is also on the rise – by 2021 it is expected to be 82.2 for males, up from 78.4 in 2001, and 88.5 for females, up from 84.6 in 2001. Read together, the demand for healthcare services is clearly on the rise too. 
 
     "To gear up for the challenges, the Government needs to plan ahead and invest in the manpower training of a full range of healthcare services - including but not limited to all the sectors which are represented here. 
 
     "You are the future of our healthcare system. We welcome you with open arms to join us and serve the community. Together, we can build a vibrant and sustainable healthcare system," she said.
 
     Professor Chan also introduced to the students details of the healthcare policy for this term of Government, including promoting primary healthcare, improving public healthcare services and facilities, promoting advancements in medical technology and supporting the development of Chinese medicine.
 
     "To provide quality healthcare services to our people, it is of utmost importance to provide adequate training to healthcare professionals while maintaining their professional standards. The Government has substantially increased the number of University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded degree places for healthcare disciplines by about 60 per cent over the past decade. The Government will consider further increasing the number of UGC-funded healthcare training places for those disciplines which will face manpower shortage in the medium to long term in the 2019/20 triennium, including doctors, dentists, nurses and relevant allied health professionals," Professor Chan said.
 
     "The Government will continue to allocate adequate resources to provide training to healthcare professionals, in particular front-line staff," she added.
 
     Over 110 students from the four universities attended the sharing session today. They came from various healthcare disciplines including dental, nursing, Chinese medicine, pharmacy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, medical laboratory science, optometry and radiography.

Ends/Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Issued at HKT 20:43

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