The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, today (Wednesday) outlined measures to provide for a regulatory structure for facilitating the use, trading and manufacture of Chinese medicine, and to recognise the professional status of Chinese medical practitioners.

The Chinese Medicine Bill would be introduced into the Legislative Council in 1999 and registration of Chinese medical practitioners would begin in 2000, Mr Tung said in his Policy Address.

"To encourage innovation and development in this field, in the past year we have funded a series of research programmes in our universities.

"We will now examine the case for establishing an Institute for Chinese Medicine which will focus on applied research.

"This will strengthen our scientific and technological base, and will facilitate the commercialisation of medicinal products," he said.

Mr Tung noted that this was another industry which, through the application of innovation and technology, could enhance Hong Kong's economic growth.

End/Wednesday, October 7, 1998

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