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State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine: Development of Chinese Medicine has the full support from Central Government
A co-operation agreement on Chinese medicine was signed by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow and the Vice-Minister of Health and Director-General of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM), Dr Wang Guoqiang on 23 November 2007 in Hong Kong to further the cooperation and exchange between Hong Kong and the Mainland.
Under the agreement, Hong Kong and the Mainland will enhance the co-operation in various areas, including the development strategies of Chinese medicine, Chinese medicine policies and regulation, development of service interface between Chinese and Western medicine, standards for Chinese medicine, training for Chinese medicine practitioners, hospital management and organization of promotional activities for Chinese medicine. For effective implementation, the two parties agreed to establish co-operation mechanism among relevant departments, and to hold working meetings when necessary.
Dr. Wang stated in his speech that Central Government encouraged more cooperation between Hong Kong and the Mainland in Chinese medicine. The signing of the cooperation agreement would create a win-win situation for both sides. Dr. Chow also expressed in his address that since the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), exchanges between Hong Kong and the Mainland over Chinese medicine had become more frequent. In recent years, Hong Kong had gradually implemented the registration of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, licensing of Chinese medicines traders and registration of proprietary Chinese medicines. The support of SATCM and the State Food and Drug Administration had facilitated the smooth implementation of such regulatory measures.In an interview with Hong Kong Wenweipo before the day of signing the agreement, Dr. Wang revealed that SATCM had been in close cooperation with HKSAR government in a number of areas, providing technical support to the development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong. During the past 10 years, HKSAR government has made a remarkable progress in advancing Chinese medicine. The passing of Chinese Medicine Ordinance and the establishment of the Chinese Medicine Council has incorporated Chinese Medicine medical service and education into the regulated system. HKSAR government also invested funding and other resources to set up Chinese medicine research platforms to promote the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine.
In promoting the application of Chinese medicine, Dr. Wang considered that Hong Kong enjoyed an unrivalled competitive edge owing to its unique geographical position, social, political and economic status. Hong Kong would be a showcase for recent development and a gateway to the international market. Dr. Wang also commended Hong Kong on its sophisticated infrastructure (technology, information, capital, economic/social system) and talented workforce. With the experiences gained since the establishment of HKSAR, Hong Kong would play an even more important role in the regulation, standardization, modernization and internationalization of Chinese medicine and contribute to its continuous development in medical care, education, research and commercialization.
Sources:
State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine
- www.satcm.gov.cn
Department of Health, HKSAR – www.dh.gov.hk
www.takungpao.com
www.chinanews.com.cn
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