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More than 60 medical professionals joined training courses on smoking cessation to equip themselves with better skills to help smokers quit smoking.
Jointly organised by the Tobacco Control Office (TCO) of the Department of Health (DH), the Hospital Authority (HA), the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Treatment Center from the US and the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, the courses aimed at providing training on counselling skills in helping smokers to quit, as well as pharmacotherapy including usage of both nicotine-replacement therapy and non-nicotine replacement medications.
A total of 68 medical professionals, namely doctors, nurses, pharmacists and allied healthcare workers working mainly in general out-patient clinics of the HA, attended the courses held between September 5 and 9.
The Director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Treatment Center, Professor Richard Hurt, and the Center's Clinical Coordinator, Dr Michael Burke, were guest speakers. They delivered lectures with vivid examples and attendees benefited from their experience sharing.
The TCO is committed to promoting a smoke-free culture in Hong Kong so as to safeguard the health of the community. The Office has been proactively providing training to healthcare personnel with pleasing results. In April this year, the DH was designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) to set up the WHO Collaborating Centre for Smoking Cessation and Treatment of Tobacco Dependence, which aims to provide evidence-based smoking cessation training for healthcare personnel. Over the past two years, the DH has trained more than 100 healthcare personnel in smoking cessation services. Graduates from previous courses have greatly enhanced their skills, confidence and readiness in providing treatment to those quitting smoking.
Apart from training programmes, an e-learning platform was developed in May by the TCO to equip local healthcare professionals with knowledge about smoking cessation.
More information on smoking cessation services can be found on the TCO webpage (www.tco.gov.hk).
Ends/Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Issued at HKT 18:07
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