The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

 

     The Hospital Authority (HA) today (November 28) organised an event “Together We Fight” to express appreciation and recognition to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating the tripartite Chinese Medicine Clinics cum Training and Research Centres (CMCTRs) and Chinese Medicine practitioners (CMP) participating in the “Special Chinese Medicine Out-patient Programme for Discharged COVID-19 Patients (CM Out-patient Programme)” and the “Special Chinese Medicine Programme for COVID-19 In-patients (CM In-patient Programme)” for their support and contribution in anti-epidemic efforts during the COVID-19 epidemic.

     Guests officiating at today’s ceremony included the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan; the Chairman of the HA, Mr Henry Fan; and the Chief Executive of the HA, Dr Tony Ko. The officiating guests presented certificates of appreciation to representatives of NGOs and frontline CMPs of CMCTRs, to thank them for their efforts over the past year.

     Professor Chan said, “The 18 CMCTRs fully supported the government’s various policies and measures in combating COVID-19 and showcase the role of Chinese Medicine clinics at the district level in fighting the epidemic. Both ‘CM Out-patient Programme’ and ‘CM In-patient Programme’ rolled out by the HA have received positive feedbacks. The strengths of Chinese Medicine as well as Chinese-Western medicine collaboration in anti-epidemic treatment have been well demonstrated alongside the unity of the entire healthcare sector.”

     “The CMCTRs have been proactively participating in anti-epidemic work by providing Chinese Medicine outpatient rehabilitation service to discharged COVID-19 patients, so that they could receive support and care on the road to recovery. Also, the collaboration between CMCTRs and the HA medical teams to provide treatment for COVID-19 in-patients at the Community Treatment Facility and North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre, is a significant milestone of Chinese medicine in combating and treating the pandemic in Hong Kong,” Mr Fan said in his address.

     Since the emergence of the COVID-19, the HA has supported the Government on the anti-epidemic work in various areas, inter alia, the commencement of “CM Out-patient Programme” and “CM In-patient Programme” in April 2020 and January 2021 respectively to provide patients with more rehabilitation and treatment options. By far, near 1 400 discharged patients have joined the “CM Out-patient Programme” and about 100 patients have joined the “CM In-patient Programme”.