Medical and Health

66. We attach great importance to public health. We will promote health education and work with the sports sector in this regard. We remain highly vigilant about communicable disease surveillance and control. We endeavour to ensure that the Centre for Health Protection is capable of making an effective response in a crisis. We will also enhance our communicable disease surveillance and notification system with the Mainland.

67. We must develop a sustainable health care system. The Health and Medical Development Advisory Committee has embarked on a study and analysis of various health care financing options. It will put forward its initial proposals for public discussion early next year. Modern health care has developed into an integrated multi-disciplinary system. In response, the Government continues to work with the whole spectrum of health professionals with a view to delivering quality services. We also recognise the role of Chinese medicine in our health care system. We will assure the sustained development of Chinese medicine and treatment through effective regulation. In the public sector, the Government will open in stages more Chinese medicine out-patient clinics to cover the whole of Hong Kong, and will install computers at these clinics for the collation of Chinese medicine clinical knowledge. The public Chinese medicine out-patient clinics will also provide training to selected graduates of our local full-time Chinese medicine bachelor degree programme.