The Primary Healthcare Blueprint Symposium, organised by the Health Bureau, was successfully held today (January 15) at the Central Government Offices. With the theme "Reform On The Road", the Symposium set the stage for nearly 300 guests from diverse backgrounds, including members of the Executive Council and the Legislative Council, as well as representatives of healthcare professional bodies, academia, government departments, NGOs and patient groups, to have high-level discussions on the path forward for primary healthcare in Hong Kong.
 
     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, said in his opening remarks, "Following the launch of the Primary Healthcare Blueprint, this Symposium signifies our commitment to take forward the important initiatives through sharing of valuable experiences and views with private and public sectors on the advancement of primary healthcare service delivery. We are grateful to mark this very important milestone with vast contribution from former healthcare leaders and our recent partners."
 
     The Symposium served as a platform for healthcare professionals and academics to share insights on the five key areas of the recommendations put forward in the Blueprint, namely developing a community-based primary healthcare system, strengthening primary healthcare governance, consolidating primary healthcare resources, reinforcing primary healthcare manpower, and improving data connectivity and healthcare surveillance. Apart from the guests attending in person, over 200 medical professionals who are listed in the Primary Health Directory also attended the Symposium via video-conferencing as part of their continuing medical education. Through the inspiring discussions during the Symposium, they could keep abreast of the latest development of and vision for primary healthcare.
 
     The Under Secretary for Health, Dr Libby Lee, also addressed the Symposium and talked about vision on district-based community health system that shapes the development of primary healthcare. She noted that district-based family centric service model will integrate and coordinate primary healthcare services through new governance structure, strategic purchasing and medical-social collaboration.
 
     The Symposium concluded with a panel discussion. Medical and social sectors as well as patient groups were gathered to discuss service network and medical-social collaboration by sharing their insights on how to pursue excellence and enhancement for cross-sector collaboration.
 
     The Commissioner for Primary Healthcare, Dr Pang Fei-chau, rounded up the Symposium with gratitude to various public and private sector partners for their contribution in the journey to formulate the Blueprint. He also called for closer collaboration towards broader implementation to fuel outcome-based primary healthcare development.
 
     The Government is committed to strengthening district-based primary healthcare services. Among a series of measures, the District Health Centres (DHCs) and DHC Expresses join hands with healthcare professionals of various disciplines through medical-social collaboration and public-private partnership to drive primary healthcare development and shift healthcare focus from curative treatment to the prevention of diseases.
 
     For more information on the Primary Healthcare Blueprint, please refer to the thematic website www.primaryhealthcare.gov.hk.

Ends/Sunday, January 15, 2023
Issued at HKT 13:54

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