The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, visited the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today (July 22) to get a better grasp of its latest progress in enhancing healthcare teaching facilities, and meet with teaching staff and students to exchange views.
 
     Professor Lo met with the university management including the Chairman of the PolyU Council, Dr Lam Tai-fai, and the President of PolyU, Professor Teng Jinguang. He also visited the healthcare teaching facilities there in the company of the Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of PolyU, Professor David Shum, to gain a better understanding of the progress of works projects for enhancing relevant facilities.
 
     Professor Lo also met with undergraduate and postgraduate students from different healthcare-related disciplines of the university and listened to their sharing of learning experiences as well as their faith and aspirations in their pursuit of careers in healthcare professions.
 
     Professor Lo said, "The healthcare system is composed of different healthcare professions whose seamless co-operation contributes to the effective operation of the healthcare system. The Government has long been attaching great importance to nurturing healthcare professionals. Through the multiple initiatives taken forward to increase the number of healthcare training places and enable University Grants Committee-funded universities to upgrade and expand healthcare teaching facilities, the Government is aiming to further alleviate the shortage of public healthcare manpower, such that members of the public can enjoy high-quality healthcare services in a sustainable manner.
 
     "PolyU has been training numerous allied health professionals and nurses for Hong Kong over the years. I hope that students of the relevant disciplines will devote their aspirations to the city's healthcare and citizens' wellbeing by putting their knowledge into practice after graduation. We will continue to earnestly explore feasible measures for strengthening the workforce of healthcare professionals in the public healthcare system in a multipronged approach, with a view to addressing the challenges posed to the public healthcare system by the ageing population of Hong Kong, and pushing ahead the development of Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub." 

Ends/Monday, July 22, 2024
Issued at HKT 17:05

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