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The Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO, Berlin), Mr Stephen Kai Wong, gave a presentation on the development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong at the First Forum on Sino-Europe Co-operation and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine, held by the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies (WFCMS) on July 22 and 23 (German time) in Bad Kötzting, Germany. The Forum took place on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the first Chinese medicine clinic in Germany, the TCM Clinic Bad Kötzting.
Speaking at the Forum, Mr Wong said, "Chinese medicine has been accepted in the community for many years. At present, about 20 per cent of the medical consultations in Hong Kong are provided by Chinese medical practitioners. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) strongly supports Hong Kong to become an international centre of Chinese medicine. Over the years, the Government has taken various measures to develop the Chinese medicine industry such as establishing the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong (CMCHK) in 1999 and the first public Chinese medicine out-patient clinic in 2004.
"For the development of Chinese medicine and medicine products, the Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards project, commissioned by the Department of Health of the HKSAR Government in 2001, is to provide safety and quality reference standards for commonly used Chinese herbs in Hong Kong. The Government is strengthening the setting of standards for Chinese herbal medicines commonly used in Hong Kong, aiming to extend coverage from the current 60 herbal medicines to about 200 by 2012."
Mr Wong added, "As regards education support, three universities in Hong Kong, namely the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Baptist University, have been providing bachelor's programmes in Chinese medicine since 1998. In addition, the Government is heavily engaged in international collaboration for furthering the development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong, including signing a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance health and medical co-operation and co-operation agreement on Chinese medicine with the Mainland of China. Under the World Health Organization (WHO), Hong Kong participates actively in meetings of the International Regulatory Co-operation for Herbal Medicines, has hosted three WHO meetings on the International Classification of Traditional Medicine since 2009, and hosted the Expert Consultation Meeting on the Regional Strategy for Traditional Medicine in the Western Pacific Region in 2010. In addition to setting up research funds for Chinese medicine, the Government will also explore with the CMCHK the possibility to invite and encourage more Chinese medicine experts from the Mainland of China and other countries to come to Hong Kong for work and exchange."
In May 2010, the Secretary for Food and Health of the HKSAR Government, Dr York Chow, visited the clinic in Germany and had fruitful exchanges with the management and staff of the clinic.
Ends/Monday, July 25, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:12
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