The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, met with a delegation of the Zhongshan Municipal People's Government led by Vice Mayor Mr Ye Hongguang today (November 9) to exchange views on healthcare policies in Hong Kong, including primary healthcare and elderly healthcare services.
At the meeting, Professor Lo introduced to the delegation the current situation and the vision of primary healthcare in Hong Kong, as well as the enhanced measures on healthcare services taken to cope with the challenges brought about by an ageing population and the prevalence of chronic diseases.
Professor Lo said, "Zhongshan is a popular location for Hong Kong elderly persons to retire. By stepping up the communication with Mainland cities, it will help us in providing better support to the healthcare needs of those elderly who reside in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
"The Chief Executive stated in his 2023 Policy Address the strengthening of medical collaboration with the Mainland for making contributions to the national strategy of 'Healthy China'. With the construction and development of the GBA, the connectivity of Hong Kong and other cities in the GBA has been greatly enhanced with a growing cross-boundary people flow and deepening co-operation to press ahead the high-quality development of the GBA. In regard to medical collaboration, there is also ample room for further co-operation between the Mainland and Hong Kong for improving the healthcare services offered to people of both places. Under the principles of complementarity and mutual benefits, as well as on the premise of benefiting healthcare development on the Mainland and in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will continue to propel medical innovation and collaboration between the two places, in particular with Mainland cities in the GBA, with a view to enhancing the quality of healthcare services of the two places."
Deputy Secretary for Health Mr Eddie Lee; the Commissioner for Primary Healthcare of the Health Bureau, Dr Pang Fei-chau; and the Acting Assistant Director of Health (Elderly Health), Dr Yonnie Lam, also attended the meeting today.
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