CMHHK Announces 24-Hour Inpatient Services Launch and Expansion of Special Disease Programs

Service expansion of The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong includes launch of 24-hour inpatient services from mid-December

The Health Bureau (HHB) and the Operator of The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong (CMHHK) announced today (August 25) the service expansion plan of CMHHK, including the launch of 24-hour inpatient services on December 11, and the introduction of 10 additional special disease programmes by year end. The extension of coverage under the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme to inpatient services of CMHHK will also start next year.

The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, said, "As the local flagship Chinese medicine institution, CMHHK has made good progress in various areas including healthcare services, training and education, research, collaboration, and creating health values, since its service commencement last year. Members of the public generally have positive feedback on the environment and professional services of the hospital. In just over eight months since commencing operation, the hospital has already increased the quota for government-subsidised outpatient services four times to meet keen public demand. The provision of 24-hour inpatient services commencing in mid-December will further advance Hong Kong's Chinese medicine services from primary healthcare to secondary and tertiary healthcare services, marking a significant breakthrough in the development of Chinese medicine."

Launch of 24-hour inpatient services

CMHHK will roll out its 24-hour inpatient services in phases starting from December 11, covering both government-subsidised and market-oriented services. In the first phase, the hospital will provide 93 inpatient beds, 20 beds under the Clinical Trial and Research Centre, and two high dependency beds. It is expected that by the end of 2030, the hospital will provide a total of 400 beds.

In addition, the hospital will expand its outpatient and day-inpatient services progressively as planned. The annual outpatient service volume of the hospital is expected to rise from 140 000 attendances in the first year to over 260 000 in the second year of operation while day-patient services will increase from 25 beds to 35 beds. The hospital will also strengthen its radiological diagnostic services (including computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound) and pathology laboratory services.

Expansion of special disease programmes

Adhering to the principle of "pursuing speciality in specialised Chinese medicine services and exceling in special disease programmes", CMHHK will fully launch six specialised Chinese medicine services and 12 special disease programmes in its first year of operation. Following the introduction of the Post-stroke Care Programme and the Low Back Pain Care Programme in July, CMHHK will launch 10 additional special disease programmes in September and November (see Annex 1). Other special disease programmes will also be rolled out progressively as planned. By leveraging the strengths of Chinese medicine and the complementary advantages of Chinese and Western medicine, the multidisciplinary team of the hospital will provide patients with highly effective treatment to enhance clinical outcomes.

Fee arrangements

CMHHK will continue to provide both government-subsidised and market-oriented services, and will adopt existing charging principles and approaches applicable to outpatient and day-patient services, ensuring continuity and consistency in the fee arrangements. The fee levels have been set after taking full account of factors such as market prices, public affordability and service costs, with a view to ensuring members of the public can access the services at reasonable and affordable prices.

The hospital will continue to adopt fee models including package charges, simplified itemised charges and combined charges on 24-hour inpatient services to enhance fee transparency, enabling members of the public to better manage their estimated hospitalisation expenses. This approach also encourages them to select services according to their actual needs and make optimal use of resources. Under the market-oriented service arrangement, package charges on special disease programmes will be introduced for both 24-hour and day-patient services to offer the public a choice.

Details of the fees for relevant services are set out in Annexes 2 and 3.

Fee waiver arrangements

A medical fee waiver mechanism is in place in CMHHK to ensure that patients with financial difficulties are able to access its services.

Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme

Regarding health insurance, the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) will cover inpatient services provided by CMHHK. Insurance companies will launch Certified Plans (Chinese Medicine), with a view to providing an additional insurance option for members of the public who have already taken out Western medicine-based inpatient coverage. There are two types of Certified Plans (Chinese Medicine):

(1) Standard Plan (Chinese Medicine): setting out the minimum compliance requirements for Certified Plans (Chinese medicine), with inpatient coverage limited to CMHHK only; and

(2) Flexi Plan (Chinese Medicine): allowing insurance companies greater flexibility in product design to offer additional protection on top of the minimum compliance requirements, such as higher benefit limits and/or broader benefit coverage (e.g. extending coverage to other hospitals), to cater for the needs of different consumers.

All insurance companies participating in the VHIS are required to make available at least one Standard Plan (Chinese Medicine) for consumers' choice, with a target to roll out the relevant products in phases starting from March 2027. In addition, insurance companies may progressively launch Flexi Plans (Chinese Medicine) in accordance with their business considerations and development directions. Insurance companies can choose to offer Certified Plans (Chinese Medicine) to consumers as riders (i.e. attached to Certified Plan Policies) or as standalone products. The HHB will maintain close liaison with insurance companies and, upon receipt of the relevant product information, vet the applications to confirm their eligibility for certification, so that Certified Plans (Chinese Medicine) can be launched in the market in an orderly manner.

Members of the public may visit the hospital's website (www.cmhhk.org.hk) for latest updates on service developments and relevant charging arrangements of CMHHK.

Service expansion of The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong includes launch of 24-hour inpatient services from mid-December Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Speech by SEE at APEC FSMM discussion session on Work Towards High Quality Agricultural and Rural Development in Asia-Pacific Region in Hangzhou

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, at the discussion session entitled Work Towards High Quality Agricultural and Rural Development in the Asia-Pacific Region at the 11th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Food Security Ministerial Meeting (FSMM) in Hangzhou today (August 25):

Thank you Chair. First of all, I would like to thank the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China for hosting the meeting and the warm hospitality.

Hong Kong, China, is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. With a population over 7.5 million, our total land area is just about 1 100 square kilometers. The topography of the territory is hilly, and only 30 per cent of the land is flat.

This drives the need for innovative, space-efficient solutions such as intensive farming, urban agriculture, and new technologies to boost productivity and resilience.

To promote sustainable agriculture and fisheries, Hong Kong, China, has promulgated a blueprint with a series of active programmes. The goal is to modernise and intensify local production to raise both output volume and value, while at the same time supporting the long-term sustainability of our farming communities.

On sustaining agricultural production capacity, we have established an Agricultural Park to nurture agro-technology and modern farm management. In parallel, a Modernised Techno-Agricultural Park has been set up through public-private partnership, to support development of modern commercial farms.

Due to our land scarcity, Hong Kong, China, is also pioneering modern and environment-friendly multi-storey pig farming. A dedicated site has been reserved for a six-storey, fully enclosed pig farm, capable of housing over 10 000 pigs.

The new pig farm will employ automated, climate-controlled, digitally managed and AI-assisted systems, that will offer a replicable model for economies facing similar land constraints.

To facilitate agricultural trade, our Vegetable Marketing Organization serves as a vital bridge between producers and consumers. It provides orderly marketing services, expands online and offline channels, and promotes high-quality local produce.

The organisation also actively promotes high-quality local agricultural and fisheries products by participating in food exhibitions, supplying seasonal produce to large catering groups, designing special menus, and conducting online and offline promotional campaigns.

We have recently launched a new brand, the Hong Kong Harvest, to certify local agricultural and fisheries products that meet rigorous safety, quality and traceability requirements.

Through branding local produce, our goal is to enhance market competitiveness, build consumer confidence, increase farmers' incomes and attract younger talent to join the agricultural and fisheries industry. All these serve as part of our efforts to drive sustainable development of the agricultural and fisheries industry, as well as rural revitalisation.

Ladies and gentlemen, Hong Kong, China, stands ready to share experiences and work with fellow APEC economies to advance agricultural innovation, strengthen regional trade and build a more resilient and prosperous Asia-Pacific community. Thank you.

Speech by SEE at APEC FSMM discussion session on Work Towards High Quality Agricultural and Rural Development in Asia-Pacific Region in Hangzhou Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases