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To achieve long-

term develop-

ment of Chinese

medicine, the

government itself

must take the re-

sponsibility

Other than raw herbs, some traditional Chinese medicine clinics are prescribing con-
centrated Chinese medicine granules to patients

is slightly larger, they can work on dif- ment Fund of HK$500 million is set the sustainability of the project. “To
ferent platforms, such as hospitals and up to facilitate applied research and achieve long-term development of
specialist divisions. But Chinese med- Chinese medicine specialisation. Part Chinese medicine, the government it-
icine practitioners are only serving a of the fund is dedicated to promoting self must take the responsibility. What
smaller group of patients. public awareness and nurturing tal- if an NGO (non-governmental organ-
Apart from providing more oppor- ents for Chinese medicine hospital. isation) quits after running the hospi-
tunities, the future hospital is believed tal for 10 years? Then, the government
to be able to enhance the develop- Management and ownership of would have to look for another one.
ment of Chinese medicine. “We know Chinese medicine hospital Would this affect the business model
the government has been actively ex- To maximise the room for further and the quality of services?” he asks.
ploring the role of Chinese medicine development, the Chinese medicine Sun Siu-yan, Officer of Union of
in healthcare. Initially, they did not hospital will be operated by a non- Frontline Chinese Medicine Practi-
know much about profit organisation on a self-financing tioners (Hong Kong), says the pro-
the functions basis. The government will finance the posed mode of operation has some
of Chinese construction and select an operator advantages. She, however, recalls how
medicine. But through tendering procedures. Dr Cheung Wai-lun, Project Direc-
now you can The ownership arrangement has tor of the Chinese Medicine Hospital
see the gov- received divided responses among Project Office, addressed their con-
ernment has a stakeholders. The plan is not wel- cerns in a meeting.
clearer picture of comed by some practitioners like “During the start-up period,
the positioning of Sung Chun-kei Sung. He says: “We have a very clear Cheung said, if the hospital was solely
it,” Sung says. stance: we want the government to managed by the Hospital Authority,
As announced in the 2018-19 fully own the hospital.” there would be many constraints im-
Budget, a Chinese Medicine Develop- Sung also expresses worries over posed by the government, unlike the