Interview with Gao Yongwen, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Hong Kong, "takes the pulse" of medical development in the Greater Bay Area after the epidemic

(Interview between the two sessions) An interview with Gao Yongwen, a member of the CPPCC National Committee in Hong Kong, "takes the pulse" of the medical development in the Greater Bay Area after the epidemic

　　China News Service, Hong Kong, February 27th. Title: Interview with Gao Yongwen, member of the CPPCC in Hong Kong, "takes the pulse" of the medical development in the Greater Bay Area after the epidemic

　　China News Agency reporter Han Xingtong

　　Removal of the post of Director of the Food and Health Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Gao Yongwen served as a member of the CPPCC National Committee in Hong Kong in 2018. Since then, his concerns have mostly revolved around the medical development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and finding a suitable place for Hong Kong. position.

　　In another year, the National Two Sessions will be held soon, and the haze of the epidemic has not cleared.

Gao Yongwen walked into the office with a stack of newly photocopied documents and accepted an interview with China News Agency.

His new proposal for the two sessions is written on the document, and three main proposals are marked in bold in the dense text.

This time, he gained some new inspiration from the epidemic and saw other possibilities for the development of medical care in the Greater Bay Area after the epidemic.

　　The Hong Kong epidemic has calmed down after the Lunar New Year holiday, and the fluctuating number of confirmed diagnoses warns that potential repeated risks still exist.

"The use of vaccines to help Hong Kong more effectively control the epidemic will be the focus of the National People's Congress and CPPCC members." Gao Yongwen predicts that some committee members may recommend that the central government approve two other domestic vaccines for Hong Kong.

　　The experience of working in the SAR government and the Hospital Authority (Hospital Authority) over the past years has made it easier for Gao Yongwen to see the impact on the medical system behind the epidemic.

Sometimes shocks are also an opportunity to reflect on the system. "At this time, we can see that the public medical system plays a very important role in responding to major public health incidents." This is the key to the relative control of the epidemic in the Mainland and Hong Kong.

On the contrary, the US anti-epidemic case is sufficient to prove that it is difficult for a privately-owned medical system to cooperate with the national epidemic control strategy.

　　"But if there are only public medical services, and there is no strong or high-quality private medical system, there is no balance." When public hospitals are fully committed to fighting the epidemic, non-emergency services may be suspended, and for patients with chronic or mild illnesses, public Hospitals receiving a large number of confirmed patients and implementing strict infection control measures will also be deterred.

The public and private medical systems go hand in hand and complement each other. Gao Yongwen believes that Hong Kong has set an example for the Greater Bay Area.

　　Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council presided over an executive meeting of the State Council in May 2019 to make arrangements to further promote the continuous and healthy and standardized development of social medical services, increase the supply of medical services and promote the improvement of people's livelihood.

Gao Yongwen believes that this shows that relevant national policies have been introduced and the number of private medical institutions in the Greater Bay Area is also quite large. However, the people’s medical habits are difficult to change for a while, and the atmosphere has not yet formed. “Most people are still used to registering in tertiary hospitals and looking for famous doctors. Clinics, including specialists, and even common diseases.” In addition, private medical services struggle to obtain medical insurance coverage, and the development of commercial medical insurance is lagging behind, both slowing down the development of private medical services in cities in the Greater Bay Area.

　　Therefore, suggesting that the central government introduce corresponding measures to encourage and promote the development of commercial medical insurance is Gao Yongwen's first proposal.

　　As for the other two proposals, they are related to the development of Chinese medicine in the Greater Bay Area.

Gao Yongwen described the medical force formed by the integration of Chinese and Western medicine as "a very important part of the fight against the epidemic."

　　Experience in the Mainland shows that in Hubei during the early outbreak of the epidemic, and even in Hebei in the near future, traditional Chinese medicine treatment has played a corresponding role. "Some medical reports show that integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment, especially in terms of reducing the use of powerful western medicines, has achieved remarkable results. , It can also reduce the chance of a diagnosed patient turning from mild to severe." Gao Yongwen said.

　　In Hong Kong, the Hospital Authority also provides free Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment services for patients staying in the community treatment facilities of AsiaWorld-Expo.

　　In fact, Chinese medicine has been involved in fighting the epidemic as early as 2003 during the SARS epidemic.

Gao Yongwen remembers that at that time, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine sent two Chinese medicine experts to Hong Kong to support them. “They went to the ICU of public hospitals to diagnose and treat severely ill patients with SARS together with Hong Kong Western medicine.” Then the medical report pointed out that the combination of Chinese medicine effectively reduced the use of hormones. Dosage, which means that the patient’s chances of side effects are correspondingly reduced.

　　When the country has been committed to promoting the internationalization and modernization of Chinese medicine in recent years, it is time for Hong Kong to use its own advantages to contribute to this goal.

"Hong Kong's education model and language are in line with the world, and Chinese medicine seminars and training courses can be held through innovative methods and information technology platforms." This gives Gao Yongwen confidence that if a Chinese medicine talent training center is established in Hong Kong, it will be more attractive.

　　Chinese medicinal materials are another link in the development of Chinese medicine. "Most of the global supply of Chinese medicine raw materials comes from the mainland." There are many problems in the medicinal material production chain, including whether agricultural production, transportation and storage, and quality control meet international standards.

Gao Yongwen sees opportunities from the problem. The Department of Health has established a government Chinese medicine testing center earlier and has a foundation in this regard.

He suggested, "Then we can set up a one-stop Chinese medicinal material procurement platform in Hong Kong, and set up logistics centers in cities in the Greater Bay Area. The two should cooperate." So as to check the quality inspection and enhance the purchasing confidence of countries.

(Finish)