The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, attended the Unveiling Ceremony of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Youth Medical Practice Centre and Kick-off Ceremony of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Medical Experience Camp 2024 of the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH) in Shenzhen today (July 15). He encouraged young people who are aspiring to work in the healthcare sector to learn about the significance of safeguarding health and respecting life through the experience camp to get better prepared to serve society and patients in the future.

     The experience camp will be held between July and August for three sessions. To mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the country this year, the HKU-SZH has selected 75 outstanding secondary school students aged above 16 from the Mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and overseas to participate in the five-day experience camp so they may gain hospital experience on the work of different healthcare specialties. In addition, in a move to enhance the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Youth Medical Practice Centre for the promotion of deep integration of the humanistic philosophy of medical education; enable exchanges and co-operation among young talent from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao; and cultivate young medical talent with international vision and basic professional skills, the HKU-SZH has successfully applied for and been designated as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Youth Medical Practice Centre by the Public Hygiene and Health Commission of Shenzhen Municipality.

     Professor Lo encouraged the students and said, "The experience camp is a precious opportunity for students to closely observe the work of healthcare professionals. I believe that upon completion of the five-day experience camp, you will have a thorough understanding of the nobility in safeguarding health and respecting life. I hope that you will keep this aspiration of becoming healthcare professionals in mind, and put the best interest of patients as your foremost belief in the future. It is also my wish that you will all prepare yourselves with all your strength and subsequently join the healthcare field to serve patients and make contributions to the construction of 'Healthy Hong Kong', 'Healthy Bay Area' and 'Healthy China'."

     During his stay in Shenzhen, Professor Lo also met with representatives of the Public Hygiene and Health Commission of Shenzhen Municipality and the HKU-SZH to discuss cross-boundary medical issues of mutual concern, including the specialist training between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, the hospital accreditation programme, and a direct cross-boundary ambulance service.

     Professor Lo emphasised, "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is actively promoting medical exchanges and co-operation between the Mainland and Hong Kong at various levels and exploring ways to improve the connectivity of cross-boundary medical services. Among them, a good example to showcase the co-operation between the two places is the establishment of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Medical Specialist Training Centre at the HKU-SZH through the collaboration of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (HKAM), the Public Hygiene and Health Commission of Shenzhen Municipality, the Shenzhen Medical Doctor Association and the HKU-SZH in 2019. Through the utilisation of the HKAM specialty training model and experience with the actual situation on the Mainland taken into account during integration, the Centre has established a standardised specialty training system aligned with international standards and recognised by the Mainland. This serves as a pioneer demonstration in fostering the cultivation of healthcare talent in Shenzhen, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the country.

     "I hope that the two places will further deepen exchanges, and contribute to the nation's and the GBA's healthcare development under the principles of complementarity and mutual benefits as well as on the premise of benefiting the healthcare development of both the Mainland and Hong Kong."

Ends/Monday, July 15, 2024
Issued at HKT 16:50

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