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Following is the speech by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Henry Tang, at the opening ceremony of the 28th International Conference of the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre today (September 15):
Mr Hassen (Mr Philip Hassen, President, ISQua), Vice Minister Ma (Mr Ma Xiaowei, Vice Minister of Health), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning.
I am delighted to join you at the opening ceremony of ISQua's 28th International Conference. May I extend a very warm welcome to you all, especially all our guests from overseas.
It is an honour for Hong Kong to host the first ISQua International Conference in Asia.
I believe you have made the right choice. We are an ideal venue for this event - although you may accuse me of being a little biased in that opinion, I insist I am right!
Hong Kong is a place where East meets West, and that includes a blend of Eastern and Western health-care practices that are part and parcel of our diverse culture.
Our city is right in the heart of East Asia and we are within easy reach of most major cities around the region. I believe all of you had direct flights to Hong Kong, which is just a showcase of our flight network.
We are also highly experienced in hosting major international conferences. I am told that this is ISQua's largest annual international conference to date. We are delighted that so many of you are joining this year's conference, including prestigious speakers from around the world. Thank you. I am sure you will find the full range of conferencing services that are required to ensure a successful and memorable event.
While our large and vibrant region brings a number of unique elements to the health-care profession, patient safety is always the top priority.
In some developing countries this means devoting attention to basic medical infrastructure, such as accommodation and equipment as well as high-quality staffing. At the same time, advanced health systems must pay attention to patient care processes, infection control, hand hygiene and the risks involved in adopting new drugs.
It is encouraging that patient safety is gaining more prominence among health-care policymakers around the globe, including Asia. The World Health Organization launched the Patient Safety Programme in 2004, urging members to pay "the closest possible attention" to the issue. The theme of this conference, "Patient Safety: Sustaining the Global Momentum", complements these efforts in stimulating awareness and knowledge.
Hong Kong's medical system has been undergoing reform and development in recent years. This is essential to keep abreast of the latest trends in, and demands for, public and private health care. We have also identified medical services as one of six major industries where Hong Kong enjoys a competitive advantage in our region. The Hong Kong Government is committed to opening up new opportunities for this very important sector.
So far we have earmarked four sites for private hospital developments. As well as building new hospitals we are also modernising existing ones to increase capacity. We have also stepped up the training of medical professionals to meet the health care needs of our ageing population.
However, these investments would only be worthwhile if we can assure patient safety and services of the highest quality.
In May 2009, we launched the Pilot Scheme on Hospital Accreditation with the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards, which, as you may know, is an ISQua-accredited agent. We are working to extend this programme to more hospitals, further enhancing quality and safety management of local hospitals to ensure international standards.
Ladies and gentlemen, it only remains for me to wish you a very successful conference and echo what Mr Hassen has said earlier: an enjoyable stay in Asia's world city.
Another warm welcome to you all. Thank you very much.
Ends/Thursday, September 15, 2011
Issued at HKT 11:17
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