Upon invitation by the Beijing Municipal Health Commission (BJHC), the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, led representatives of the department to Beijing to attend the Global Trade in Services Summit, Hygiene and Health Services Thematic Exhibition, and Beijing International Conference for Public Health Cooperation of the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services, as well as to have work meeting with the BJHC. The visit concluded today (September 5). During his stay, Dr Lam also met relevant health and drug regulatory authorities with a view to further deepening exchanges and co-operation with the Mainland in various public health aspects.
Dr Lam called on the National Administration of Disease Prevention and Control (NADPC) and had a meeting with the Vice-minister cum member of the Leading Party Members' Group of the National Health Commission (NHC) and the Director cum secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group of the NADPC, Mr Wang Hesheng. They discussed the forthcoming in-depth co-operation and set up of standing mechanism for conducting exercises on public health emergency responsiveness; nurturing talent for communicable diseases and various aspects on disease control and prevention. Dr Lam then visited the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and had a meeting with the member of the Leading Party Members' Group cum Deputy Commissioner of the NMPA, Mr Zhao Junning, to exchange views on enhancing the development of regulation of medicine and medical devices, facilitating the co-operation in Greater Bay Areas, as well as aligning with international standards. In addition, Dr Lam visited the National Institutes for Food and Drug Control and met with Director for Drug Safety of NMPA cum Director General of National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Mr Li Bo, to have in-depth exchanges on updating co-operation agreement on testing of Chinese medicine standards, setting of standard, establishment of Chinese Medicines Herbarium in the future in Hong Kong and future development initiatives of both sides (including the Greater Bay Area). Later, Dr Lam visited the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NATCM) and called on member of the Leading Party Members' Group of the NHC and Director cum secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group of the NATCM, Professor Yu Yanhong, to discuss issues including the regulation and development of Chinese medicine, including setting up of Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute and the relevant scientific research projects.
During his meeting with BJHC, Dr Lam reviewed the achievements of the memorandum of understanding between Beijing Municipal Health Commission and Department of Health of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region throughout the years with the Party Committee Secretary cum vice-director of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, Mr Zhong Dongbo, and the Director of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, Mr Liu Juncai. They also reached a consensus on the agenda items of the Beijing-Hong Kong High-level Symposium on Health Cooperation to be held in Hong Kong in the second half of this year.
Besides, Dr Lam also toured the Beijing Tiantan Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University to learn more about application of innovation and technology in the development of smart hospitals and the facilitation of drug development as well as the transformation of into medical research and application.
Concluding the visit, Dr Lam pointed out that the Mainland and Hong Kong's health and drug regulatory authorities have maintained close exchanges, enhancing the responsiveness to public health emergency and safeguarding the health and well-being of the people of both sides. Efforts will be made by both sides to strengthen collaboration among the Greater Bay areas in healthcare aspect. Hong Kong will fully committed to support the Mainland's development on international platforms of regulating medicine and medical devices, giving full play to the Hong Kong's important role as the gateway of the Mainland to international markets and serve as the bridgehead.
The delegation includes the Head of the Communicable Disease Branch of the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, and the Assistant Director of Health (Health Sciences and Technology), Dr Alice Wong.
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