​The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, met with a delegation of the National Health Commission (NHC) for Science and Technology Exchange led by the Supervisor of the Department of Health Science, Technology and Education of the NHC, Mr Zheng Zhongwei, today (September 4) to have in-depth discussions on the deepening of co-operation on health and medical innovation between the Mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
Professor Lo said, "The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC Central Committee), which concluded victoriously on July 18, adopted the Resolution of the CPC Central Committee on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization. Subsequent to the 19th Joint Meeting of Senior Health Officials of Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao held in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, last Thursday (August 29), today's meeting provides another opportunity for the Mainland and the HKSAR to engage in more in-depth discussions on developing Hong Kong into the country's international health and medical innovation hub."
The National 14th Five-Year Plan expressed clear support for Hong Kong's development into an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre, while the Development Plan for Shenzhen Park of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (HTCZ) promulgated by the State Council in August last year indicated clear support for the co-ordinated development of the Hong Kong Park and Shenzhen Park under the "one zone, two parks" model. Both Plans bolster the innovative applications of advanced biomedical technologies and establishment of an internationally competitive base for industrial pilot-scale testing and transformation.
"Health and medical innovation not only introduces good drugs for use in Hong Kong and brings the benefit of research and development to patients, but also fosters the transformation of I&T and development of the industry. Since putting forward in the Chief Executive's 2023 Policy Address the vision of developing Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub, the HKSAR Government has been pushing ahead with multiple initiatives on all fronts, including strengthening the HKSAR's capacity of drug evaluation for progressing towards a primary evaluation approach, as well as establishing the Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute in the Hong Kong Park of the HTCZ within this year to drive collaboration of clinical trials with the Shenzhen Park under the 'one zone, two parks' model with a view to enhancing the healthcare quality of Hong Kong and the GBA in the long run, thereby benefitting more citizens," he stressed.
"The HKSAR Government will strenuously work in line with the objective of deepening medical and healthcare reform as stipulated in the Resolution by pursuing innovation in the medical field. While actively integrating into the national development, the HKSAR will capitalise on its unique advantages to the fullest to develop the city into an international health and medical innovation hub, thereby enabling the innovative medical technologies to go global and attract foreign investment. Hong Kong will strive to give full play to our strengths so as to serve the country's needs amid the comprehensive deepening of reform."
The Permanent Secretary for Health, Mr Thomas Chan; the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam; and the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority, Dr Tony Ko, also attended the meeting.
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