Hong Kong health authorities will guide residents on when to seek Chinese medicine treatment, identifying conditions where it is considered more effective than Western practice, under a new blueprint for the sector's development. The initiative highlights the strengths of both medical traditions and aims to boost eHealth adoption among practitioners.
Hong Kong's government unveiled the city's first blueprint for Chinese medicine development on Thursday, outlining five key areas—services, profession, product development, culture, and global expansion—along with eight goals and 20 action plans.
Commissioner for Chinese Medicine Development Vincent Chung Chi-ho said on Saturday that only 9 per cent of the city's about 10,000 Chinese medicine practitioners were using eHealth, the government's electronic medical record platform. Authorities will step up efforts to promote its use in the sector.
Among the initiatives to enhance clinical services under the "Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint" is the formulation of a list of conditions in which Chinese medicine shows distinct advantages. Chung said Chinese and Western medicine each had their own strengths and residents should be guided on how to choose treatments effectively.
He gave the example of a stroke patient undergoing Chinese medicine rehabilitation after receiving Western treatment for the acute stage of the illness. The blueprint seeks to help residents make informed choices, emphasizing Chinese medicine's unique benefits in certain cases while advancing the profession's standardization and global reach.