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HKBU selected to operate flagship Chinese Medicine Hospital

28 Jun 2021

Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) was selected by the Government as the contractor for the service deed of Hong Kong's first Chinese Medicine Hospital (CMH).

 

The CMH will be located in Tseung Kwan O. Its construction is expected to complete in 2025 with service to commence in the second quarter of the year. HKBU will proactively take forward the planning and preparatory works related to the commencement of service of the CMH immediately in accordance with the service deed, and in line with the Government's efforts to promote the development of Chinese medicine.

 

At the Chinese Medicine Hospital Commissioning Launch Ceremony organised by the Food and Health Bureau today (28 June), Dr Clement Chen, Chairman of the Council and the Court of HKBU, said that it has been the dream of HKBU to operate a CMH. He said: "Now that our dream has come true, we will spare no effort in collaborating with the Government, academia, industry, and the Chinese Medicine Clinics cum Training and Research Centres in the 18 districts with the hope of providing quality Chinese medicine services to the public after the hospital's operation commences in 2025. At the same time, we hope it becomes a hub of clinical teaching and research to help Hong Kong reach a new level of excellence in Chinese medicine clinical training and research."

 

Professor Alexander Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU, said that HKBU is the pioneer of Chinese medicine higher education in Hong Kong, and it was the first higher education institution in Hong Kong to offer Chinese medicine programmes funded by the University Grants Committee. As a research-led liberal arts university, one of HKBU's key research areas is "health, Chinese medicine and drug research". In addition, HKBU now directly operates nine Chinese medicine clinics and one disease prevention centre, with nearly a hundred Chinese medicine practitioners who have handled nearly three million patient visits over the years.

 

"HKBU is at the forefront of Chinese medicine education and research in Hong Kong, and it has rich experience of providing Chinese medicine clinical services. It has a distinct advantage in shouldering the responsibility of operating the CMH," said Professor Wai.

 

With the establishment of the CMH, Chinese medicine healthcare service standards in Hong Kong will be raised substantially, and the new hospital will enable more comprehensive disease prevention strategies and treatments for the public. In general, Chinese medicine practitioners in Hong Kong now provide broad specialist services, including general practice, orthopaedics and traumatology as well as acupuncture. In the future, the CMH will establish six major specialist areas, including internal medicine, external medicine, gynaecology, paediatrics, acupuncture and moxibustion as well as orthopaedics and traumatology, and numerous centres for special diseases will be set up. Complimented by the University's close collaborative relationship with the Chinese Medicine Clinics cum Training and Research Centres in the 18 districts and the Chinese medicine industry, the CMH will help to promote the development of specialist Chinese medicine services in Hong Kong.

 

On the training of Chinese medicine talent, the CMH will become a practicum base for Chinese medicine and pharmacy students from universities and other training bodies in Hong Kong, and it will offer greater flexibility for the nurturing of industry professionals.

 

Moreover, the CMH's clinical trials facilities will facilitate research and the development of more effective Chinese medicine drugs and therapies, enhance Hong Kong's standards in Chinese medicine clinical research, and thus improve the competitiveness of Hong Kong's Chinese medicine pharmaceutical products regionally and even internationally. The University will also devote substantial resources to the application of technology in Chinese medicine research and it will promote the construction of a smart hospital.

 

The CMH will also facilitate cross-disciplinary collaboration in different areas. This will include Chinese medicine collaborations in the Greater Bay Area, and among the Belt and Road countries and the global community; collaborations between Chinese medicine and the professional disciplines of Western medicine, nursing and physiotherapy to enhance disease prevention and treatment standards; and the strengthening of collaborations between the Government, industry, academia and research bodies to expedite knowledge transfer.

 

In view of the ageing population, the CMH will maximise the advantage of Chinese medicine's focus on personalised care, and it will strengthen the community healthcare service network and alleviate the medical burden of society by implementing Chinese medicine's approach to disease prevention, treatment and wellbeing. The CMH will explore a new healthcare model that has the potential to reform our medical services, and it will enable the public to enjoy more comprehensive and quality healthcare services.

 

"HKBU will devote the best of its efforts to further promote the standardisation and internationalisation of Chinese medicine through the application of technology and digitalisation. Based on our solid foundations, we will take Chinese medicine education, research and services to new heights, and combine strengths and advantages from different areas so that the CMH will play a key role as the  'flagship' and 'change driver' of Chinese medicine," said Professor Wai.

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Dr Clement Chen (left), Chairman of the Council and the Court at HKBU, and Professor Sophia Chan (right), Secretary for Food and Health, officiate at the Chinese Medicine Hospital Commissioning Launch Ceremony. (Photo courtesy of the Food and Health Bureau)
Representatives of HKBU and the Government attended the launch ceremony. HKBU representatives (from sixth from left to far left): Dr Clement Chen, Chairman of the Council and the Court; Mr Paul Poon, Deputy Chairman of the Council and the Court; Professor Alexander Wai, President and Vice-chancellor; Ms Christine Chow, Vice-President (Administration) and Secretary; Professor Lyu Aiping, Dean of the School of Chinese Medicine; and Professor Bian Zhaoxiang, Associate Vice-President (Chinese Medicine Development). Government representatives: Professor Sophia Chan (6th from right), Secretary for Food and Health; Mr Thomas Chan (5th from right), Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Health); Ms Winnie Ho (4th from right), Director of Architectural Services; Dr Cheung Wai-lun (2nd from right), Project Director of the CMH Project Office; and other Government officials. (Photo courtesy of the Food and Health Bureau)
The Chinese Medicine Hospital is to be located in Tseung Kwan O, with construction expected to be completed in 2025 and service to commence in the second quarter of that year. (Photo courtesy of the Food and Health Bureau)