The Food and Health Bureau (FHB) has earlier received the first batch of anti-epidemic Chinese medicines donated by the Mainland in supporting Hong Kong’s response to the fifth wave of the epidemic. The FHB today (February 24) announced that the batch of Chinese medicines would be distributed to persons under isolation by phases, with the first phase benefitting persons under isolation arrangement at the Community Isolation Facility at Penny’s Bay.
The Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan said, “The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government expresses its heartfelt gratitude to the Central People’s Government for its ceaseless support to Hong Kong’s anti-epidemic work in co-ordinating the delivery of anti-epidemic Chinese medicines to Hong Kong within a short timeframe to assist our fight against the fifth wave of the epidemic, which demonstrate its deepest care for the people of Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the HKSAR Government also appreciates the multi-pronged efforts of the Hospital Authority (HA) in supporting the people of Hong Kong affected by the epidemic, including implementing the Special Chinese Medicine (CM) Out-patient Programme and the Special CM Programme for COVID-19 In-patients starting from April 2020 and January 2021 respectively to provide CM rehabilitation service and treatment. Faced with the severe fifth wave of the epidemic, the HKSAR Government is actively exploring with the CM sector and the HA in implementing all feasible measures to combat the epidemic with the use of CM.”
To support persons under isolation arrangement at the Community Isolation Facility at Penny’s Bay, the CM Department of the HA has set up an advice hotline (Telephone: 2794 3171) to provide free tele-advice by registered Chinese medicine practitioners (CMPs) on enquiries relating to CM.
Apart from the first batch of “Lianhua Qingwen Jiaonang” and “Jinhua Qinggan Keli” delivered to Hong Kong, another proprietary Chinese medicine (pCm), namely “Huoxiang Zhengqi”, will also arrive Hong Kong by phases. The aforementioned three pCms are recommended in the Mainland’s “Diagnosis and Treatment Protocols for Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia”, and widely applied in the anti-epidemic work in the Mainland. Under clinical guidance of CMPs, the relevant pCm could be used during the stage of medical surveillance, and treatment for patients with mild and common symptoms, subject to actual clinical conditions.
Different Chinese medicines are suitable for use having regard to the physique, cause of disease and medical conditions of different people. With a view to safeguarding health and medication safety, members of the public should seek professional advice from CMPs before consuming Chinese medicines.
The HKSAR Government will continue to engage the CM sector and the HA to further explore the way forward in supporting members of the public affected by the epidemic, including those under/pending quarantine and isolation, with a view to allowing CM to give full play to its strengths and effects to a greater extent in the entire process of anti-epidemic and treatment efforts.
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