Policy Address
Supply of Healthcare Manpower
84. To help ensure sufficient healthcare manpower for the public healthcare system, we will look into different options including requiring qualified healthcare professionals to serve in public healthcare institutions for a specified period of time, and admitting qualified non-locally trained dentists and nurses.
Development of Chinese Medicine
85. To further promote the development of CM, we will enhance the functions of the Chinese Medicine Unit under the Health Bureau with the creation of the post of Commissioner for Chinese Medicine Development to strengthen the development of CM and relevant policy co-ordination work, which include formulating a blueprint for the development of CM; taking forward the provision of an additional 200 000 quotas of CM out-patient service; regularising integrated Chinese-Western medicine services and gradually expanding the services to more hospitals and diseases, including actively exploring their extension to cancer care; enhancing the implementation of the Chinese Medicine Development Fund; promoting the professional development of CM practitioners and CM drug personnel; and deepening the collaboration in CM between Hong Kong and the Mainland and the GBA.
Mental Health
86. Mental health is one of the keys to happiness. The Government will enhance the mental wellness of the community with services targeting the needs of various groups. We will strengthen the multi-disciplinary Student Mental Health Support Scheme to identify students in need and make arrangements for them to receive professional support at the first opportunity. The HA will allocate additional resources to strengthen community psychiatric services and launch a pilot public-private partnership programme for the provision of psychiatric specialist out-patient service. The Social Welfare Department will also strengthen the services of the Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness. Apart from continuing to subsidise organisations to implement community support projects, we will set up a mental health support hotline to provide immediate support and referral services.
Tobacco Control
87. Our tobacco control efforts will continue, even though the smoking prevalence in Hong Kong reached an all-time low of 9.5% last year. We will consult the public early next year on the next steps for tobacco control. Our target is to further reduce smoking prevalence to 7.8% by 2025.
Co-operation with the Mainland to Facilitate Registration of Pharmaceutical Products in Hong Kong and Use of Pharmaceutical Products and Medical Devices in the Mainland
88. To foster medical co-operation between Hong Kong and the Mainland, we will make reference to the registration approvals made by the National Medical Products Administration and other suitable drug regulatory authorities, allowing pharmaceutical products registered in the Mainland and relevant places to be registered and sold in Hong Kong upon fulfilment of the relevant stringent requirements on safety, efficacy and quality, thereby diversifying the supply of pharmaceutical products. We will also maintain liaison with the Mainland on allowing more Hong Kong-registered drugs and medical devices to be used in the GBA. In addition, we will study the feasibility of allowing Hong Kong people living in the Mainland cities of the GBA to make use of the Elderly Health Care Vouchers for settling payments of Mainland medical insurance premiums.