S for Health leads delegation for three-day visit to Guangdong Province (with photos)
29.3.2023

The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, led a delegation for a three-day visit in Guangdong Province today (March 29), calling on the Health Commission of Guangdong Province. He also attended the opening ceremony of the Nansha International Hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, and visited the Big Data Centre of National Health Commission for Human Tissue, Organ Transplant and Medicine. During his meeting with the Party Secretary and Director of the Health Commission of Guangdong Province, Mr Zhu Hong, Professor Lo introduced the situation of Hong Kong in containing the COVID-19 epidemic and the latest development of various healthcare policies. Professor Lo said, "I would like to express my gratitude to Director Zhu for his staunch support for the work of the Health Bureau, the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority (HA) all along. In particular, the leaders of the Health Commission of Guangdong Province showed much care towards the situation in Hong Kong during the fifth wave of the COVID-19 epidemic last year, and co-ordinated the Mainland medical support team in a short period of time to render assistance to the HA and provide suitable treatments for COVID-19 patients in the community treatment facility at AsiaWorld-Expo. "I, together with the health authorities of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, shall continue to maintain our close contact with the Health Commission of Guangdong Province, with a view to deepening exchanges and co-operation with the Mainland in the healthcare aspect." Professor Lo and his delegation attended the opening ceremony of the Nansha International Hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University this morning. In delivering a speech, he said, "The Nansha International Hospital is located in the core zone for the development of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The Nansha Plan (Overall Plan for Deepening Globally Oriented Comprehensive Co-operation amongst Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in Nansha of Guangzhou) promulgated by the State Council affirmed the strategic position of Nansha and supported Nansha to turn into a major strategic platform based on the GBA, co-ordinate the development between Hong Kong and Macao, and work with a global perspective. I anticipate that the Nansha International Hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University will provide high-quality services to the residents in the GBA and at the same time substantially enhance the medical integration of Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macao." In the afternoon, the delegation went on to visit the Big Data Centre of National Health Commission for Human Tissue, Organ Transplant and Medicine to meet its Director, Professor Wang Haibo, and tour the China Organ Donation and Transplant Development Museum. Professor Lo said, "The national human organ donation work has indeed made remarkable achievements in recent years and the China Organ Transplant Response System is highly recognised by the World Health Organization and the Transplantation Society. It is the anticipation of the Health Bureau to explore the setting-up of a standing co-operation mechanism for sharing organs for transplant with the Mainland, so as to make the best use of donated organs for saving lives." Delegation members accompanying Professor Lo to the visit include the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam; the Commissioner for Primary Healthcare of the Health Bureau, Dr Pang Fei-chau; and the Chairman of the HA, Mr Henry Fan. Professor Lo and the delegation will proceed to Shenzhen tomorrow (March 30) and continue the visit.