Policy Address

Elderly Healthcare Services

192.     The HA will enhance healthcare services for elderly patients, including:

1. finishing improvement works to barrier-free facilities in the remaining hospitals by the end of 2016, following completion of similar works in general out-patient clinics and acute hospitals at the end of 2014;
   
2. establishing Hong Kong's fourth joint replacement centre in the New Territories East Cluster; and
   
3. strengthening geriatric rehabilitation and palliative care services and enhancing the service of the Community Geriatric Assessment Teams.

General Out-patient Clinic Public-Private Partnership Programme

193.     Last year, the HA launched the pilot General Out-patient Clinic Public-Private Partnership Programme in three districts, allowing chronic disease patients (for example, those suffering from hypertension) who are in stable conditions to choose to receive out-patient services from private doctors in the respective districts.  The HA plans to extend the programme to the remaining 15 districts in phases.

Chinese Medicine Testing Centre

194.     The Government will plan and develop a testing centre for Chinese medicine to be managed by the DH.  The testing centre will specialise in the testing of, and scientific research on, Chinese medicine with a view to setting reference standards for the safety, quality and testing methods of Chinese medicine.  With the guidance of an advisory board formed by renowned international experts, the DH will continue to study and formulate more Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards (HKCMMS) through the testing centre.  The testing centre will also embark on relevant hi-tech research with a view to strengthening the capability for the quality control and identification of Chinese medicine.  A herbarium on Chinese medicine of international standard will be set up.  Through various platforms and close collaboration with the relevant international and Mainland organisations, the testing centre will help promote the HKCMMS and the reference standards for testing Chinese medicine as authoritative international benchmarks to pave the way for the internationalisation of Hong Kong's Chinese medicine industry.

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