Secretary for Health meets National Health Commission delegation (with photos)
26.8.2023

The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, met with a delegation led by the Director-General of the Department of Medical Emergency Response of the National Health Commission (NHC), Ms Guo Yanhong, today (August 26) to exchange views and have discussion on the collaboration with the Mainland in the realm of organ transplantation, with a view to laying a solid foundation for deepening co-operation ahead. Professor Lo said, "The unprecedented cross-boundary organ donation case was completed with resounding success by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Mainland in December last year. Not only did it save the life of a four-month-old baby girl, it also offers an opportunity for the two places to forge ahead the standing collaboration with greater confidence. This also serves to exemplify to the fullest the shared principle and mission of the Mainland and the HKSAR in protecting lives. "We are in exploration with the Mainland to push ahead organ donation and transplant co-operation on all fronts, including continuing the drive for in-depth co-operation on communication management, academic exchanges and organ transplant mutual assistance mechanism." Ms Guo introduced at the meeting the situation of organ donation and transplantation in the Mainland. In recent years, the Mainland has established and refined the organ donation and transplantation system with notable achievements. Five major work systems in organ donation, acquisition and allocation, clinical transplantation services, quality control and regulation are now in place, thus setting a work pattern in human organ donation and transplantation that is impartial in science, and can safeguard fairness with adherence to ethics and in line with China's national conditions and culture. The organ donation and transplantation work in the Mainland has recorded a rapid development, currently ranked second worldwide in the number of organ donation and transplantation, and is among the top level of organ transplantation technology in the world. The proposal by Professor Lo was also well responded to by the Mainland delegation. Next on the list is to press ahead the communication management in cross-boundary organ transplantation, and training to upskill the transplant technology capabilities, as well as to provide support for the standing co-operation through establishment of mechanism and improvement in organ transplant policies. Professor Lo added, "The HKSAR Government has deep gratitude to the strong support and collaborative effort of various Mainland authorities. We anticipate more patients will benefit from the organ transplant technology through the setting-up of a standing organ transplant mutual assistance mechanism with the Mainland." The delegation led by Ms Guo arrived Hong Kong yesterday (August 25) for a four-day visit. Members of the delegation include the Director of the Division of Medical Supervision of the Department of Medical Emergency Response of the NHC, Mr Gao Xinqiang; the Chairman of the China Organ Transplantation Development Foundation, Mr Zhao Hongtao; the Director of the Big Data Centre of NHC for Human Tissue, Organ Transplant and Medicine, Professor Wang Haibo; and members of the Scientific Committee of the China Organ Transplant Response System (COTRS), including Dr Dong Jiahong. During their visit to Hong Kong, the delegation will visit Hong Kong Children's Hospital and Queen Mary Hospital to get a better grasp of the organ donation arrangement and transplant service in Hong Kong. Besides, the delegation is in participation in the ongoing 18th Congress of Asian Society of Transplantation. The Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, and the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority, Dr Tony Ko, also attended the meeting today.