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Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, at the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong International Dental Expo and Symposium this morning (August 22):
Dr Sigmund Leung, Dr Nelson Wong, distinguished guests, government colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning. A warm welcome to the Hong Kong International Dental Expo and Symposium 2014. This is the fourth time that the Hong Kong Dental Association is organising this prestigious international event and I am very pleased and honoured to have the opportunity to join you again at the opening ceremony.
Hong Kong provides excellent health care because we have a robust health-care system. Under our twin-track system, public medical services provide a safety net for the people, while private health-care services give more choice for those who can afford them.
Hong Kong's life expectancy is among the highest in the world. In 2012, the average life expectancy was 80.7 years for men and 86.4 years for women, while infant deaths stood at 1.5 per 1 000 registered live births. This attests to the quality of our health-care services.
Hong Kong's expertise in the prevention and control of communicable diseases is internationally renowned. The Centre for Health Protection protects the community from contagious diseases through real-time surveillance, rapid intervention and risk communication. Our research institutes have made major breakthroughs in various medical fields, including dentistry.
Hong Kong has been able to provide excellent health care also because we have the dedication and devotion of the health-care professionals, and the professional associations that represent and support them.
The Hong Kong Dental Association has been working hard to achieve and maintain high standards of patient care in dental practice. The Association encourages lifelong learning among its members. Organising international events such as this Expo provides a platform for dental experts and researchers to exchange expertise and experience, and introduce cutting-edge technologies. This enhances the growth and development of the dental health care and I applaud the efforts of the Hong Kong Dental Association.
To cope with our ageing society, we have strengthened the elderly health-care regime by doubling the amount of Elderly Health Care Voucher for private medical care, including dental services. We will also convert the free outreach primary dental care services for the elderly from a pilot programme to a regular one and expand the scope of services to cover fillings, extractions and dentures. We are also considering expanding the scope of an existing elderly dental programme to benefit more elderly people facing financial constraints.
I encourage the local dental profession to play a bigger role in my Government's commitment to improve the lives of the underprivileged in our community. Your support will definitely help my Government to achieve these worthy goals.
As an international business centre and a super-connector between the rest of China and the rest of the world, Hong Kong is an ideal place to showcase new inventions and innovative products, including services and products in the dental field. What sells well in Hong Kong will sell well in the whole of China. While I do not ask for free samples for Hong Kong, I do encourage all manufacturers and suppliers to make good use of this Expo to promote and showcase what you have to offer and leverage Hong Kong's well-established edge as a launch pad to the Mainland of China.
Finally, I invite our visitors to take some time off your busy schedule to experience our wonderful city. We offer a lot more than good shopping. The huge land mass that is called the Mainland of China is 45 minutes away. Our nearest beaches are only 15 minutes away. So are the nearest entrances to our country parks. I'm sure you will take back unforgettable memories of a very special place.
I wish you all a very successful Expo and Symposium.
Thank you.
Ends/Friday, August 22, 2014
Issued at HKT 11:07
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