Secretary for Health continues visit to Singapore (with photos)
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During the meeting with the Chief Executive Officer of the HSA of Singapore, Professor Raymond Chua, Professor Lo said, "Protecting public health and tackling public health challenges transcend borders. International co-operation is indispensable in ensuring the safety, efficacy, and quality of drugs and medical devices, as well as in enhancing tobacco control to protect community health. I look forward to Hong Kong and Singapore collaborating to create synergy and share the best practices to bolster public health protection and promote medical innovation, thereby further strengthening the healthy and steady development of the healthcare systems in both places."
After the meeting, Professor Lo and Singapore's Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and the Minister for Health, Mr Ong Ye Kung, jointly witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on regulation of drugs and medical devices and tobacco control policy by the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, and Professor Chua. The MOU aims to enhance the co-operation between the two places in areas such as regulation of drugs and medical devices, promoting tobacco control policy and enforcement, as well as regulatory capacity enhancement and training, with a view to jointly promoting the high-quality development of the regulation of drugs and medical devices.
During the meeting with the founding Executive Director of CoRE, Professor John Lim, Professor Lo introduced the initiatives put forward by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in developing Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub, including strengthening the approval regimes for drugs and medical devices, as well as establishing the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation by the end of 2026 to foster growth in the local healthcare and biotechnology industries.
Professor Lo also gained insights on CoRE's significant contributions to Singapore's healthcare regulatory system over the past decade through capacity building, strengthening collaboration and fostering innovation.
Professor Lo said, "Hong Kong is pressing ahead with reforms of the regulatory system of drugs and medical devices to address evolving healthcare needs and the rapid development of advanced treatment technologies. The valuable experience of CoRE in nurturing talent and promoting regulation of drugs and medical devices provides practical and useful reference for our ongoing reforms."
Apart from Dr Lam, members of the delegation include Deputy Secretary for Health Ms Elaine Mak and a representative from the Hospital Authority. They will visit the National Cancer Centre Singapore, a polyclinic and a pharmaceutical company tomorrow (August 14), and depart for Hong Kong in the evening.
Ends/Wednesday, August 13, 2025
Issued at HKT 18:35
Issued at HKT 18:35
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