Lee Ka-chao: Hong Kong will launch a blueprint for the development of traditional Chinese medicine.

The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Carrie Lam, delivered a new policy address at the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region today. Lam stated that the permanent buildings of the Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Hospital and the Government Chinese Medicine Testing Centre will be put into service in stages starting from December this year. The Hong Kong government will further promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine in Hong Kong, and support the country in promoting the internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine, including: announcing the "Blueprint for the Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine" by the end of the year, covering the establishment of governance structures and service systems, leveraging strengths and promoting collaboration between Chinese and Western medicine, promoting research and innovation, and cultural heritage. In its first year, the Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Hospital will provide a variety of specialized Chinese medical services, including common diseases in the elderly. The promotion of collaboration within the Chinese medicine industry through the integration of electronic health records via the eHealth Record Sharing System, as well as expanding the scope of information sharing between Chinese and Western medicine. The development of collaborative services between Chinese and Western medicine will be advanced by expanding the Hospital Authority's "Osteoarthritis Treatment" project to all networked hospitals and launching a pilot project on "Palliative Care".