Transcript of remarks by S for Health after Ante Chamber exchange session (with photos/video)

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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, at a media session after attending the Ante Chamber exchange session this morning (June 28):

Reporter: Are there any new thoughts on making good use of the medical resources and the Mainland after the Ante Chamber meeting, for example, the Health Care Voucher and also the psychological centre which helps in the primary healthcare, how is that? The second question is about the non-locally trained pathway, how is that in solving the labour crunches so far?

Secretary for Health: We had a very good discussion with the Legislative Councillors regarding the collaboration with the Mainland in the development of healthcare services across the boundary. For the Elderly Health Care Voucher, we heard a lot of good suggestions from our legislators, regarding the extension of the use to more hospitals on the Mainland, particularly those managed by institutions with experience in the healthcare services and the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme in Hong Kong. We are now developing the criteria for approving these additional Elderly Health Care Voucher utilisation hospitals, we will soon be accepting applications. The intention is to make sure that these spots for the use of the Elderly Health Care Voucher can be linked with our future spots for the residential care homes for the elderly in order to facilitate the provision of healthcare services to these elderly people across the boundary. So there were lot of discussions, especially about whether we can extend the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme to Fujian. Fujian is a province with quite a number of elderly retiring there.

Regarding the admission of non-locally trained healthcare workers, we are glad that the Special Registration Committee under the Medical Council (The Medical Council of Hong Kong) and the leadership of the chairperson, Professor Grace Tang, has come up with the fourth batch of approved curriculums - medical curriculums in the scheme, an additional 25 medical curriculums, including five medical schools on the Mainland with seven different curriculums. I am quite confident that this addition will be able to facilitate more non-locally trained doctors to return to Hong Kong and come to Hong Kong to support our healthcare services, and to create a positive cycle for more healthcare workers to work in the Hospital Authority and our public healthcare service in order to improve the care for our people, for the citizens of Hong Kong. Thank you.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

Ends/Wednesday, June 28, 2023
Issued at HKT 13:51

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The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, attended the Ante Chamber exchange session at the Legislative Council (LegCo) today (June 28). Photo shows Mr Cheuk (first row, centre); the President of the LegCo, Mr Andrew Leung (first row, fourth right); the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau (first row, fourth left); and the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun (first row, third right), with LegCo Members before the meeting.

The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing (centre); the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau (left); and the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun (right), meet the media after attending the Ante Chamber exchange session at the Legislative Council today (June 28).

Audio / Video

DCS, S for Health and SLW meet the media after Ante Chamber exchange session at LegCo

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