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Health
of acceptable basic test reports. As at end-2018, there were 7,033 licensed Chinese medicine traders, including 19 holding the Certificate for Manufacturer; 6,620 proprietary Chinese medicines with transitional registration status; and 1,714 with a Certificate of Registration of Proprietary Chinese Medicine.
As announced in the 2018 Policy Address, the government has incorporated Chinese medicine into the healthcare system. It will formulate a holistic Chinese medicine policy and allocate additional resources to subsidise defined services, such as outpatient services provided in the 18 Chinese medicine centres for training and research as well as inpatient services with integrated Chinese-Western medicine treatment in selected public hospitals. The government is spearheading the development of the first Chinese medicine hospital, which will provide government-subsidised inpatient and outpatient services.
The Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica (HKCMM) Standards Project aims to ensure the safety and quality of common Chinese herbal medicines. It is supported by local universities and overseas and Mainland experts. As at end-2018, the department had released reference standards for 299 commonly used Chinese medicines under the project.
The Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute has been conducting six projects at its temporary site after consulting the industry, while the department is working on establishing a permanent site.
The department's Chinese Medicine Division, which is designated by the WHO as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine, helps the WHO formulate policies and strategies and sets regulatory standards for traditional medicine.
Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine Pilot Programme
The Hospital Authority is implementing a pilot programme making use of integrated Chinese- Western medicine to maximise the outcome of patient care, gain experience in the development of Chinese medicine inpatient services, and facilitate postgraduate Chinese medicine development and training. The pilot programme covers stroke, lower back pain, shoulder and neck pain and cancer palliative care, and is operating in seven public hospitals.
Human Reproductive Technology
Activities using human reproductive technology are regulated to ensure the procedures are conducted in a safe and informed manner, and to safeguard the welfare of children born through the technology. The Human Reproductive Technology Ordinance confines the application of the procedures to infertile married couples, regulates surrogacy arrangements and the use of embryos and gametes for research and other purposes, and prohibits commercial dealings in embryos or gametes and the use of donated gametes in surrogacy arrangements. Reproductive technology service providers and embryo researchers must apply for a licence issued by the Council on Human Reproductive Technology, set up under the legislation. As at the end of 2018, the council had issued 50 licences, comprising 18 treatment licences, 29 artificial insemination-by-husband licences and three research licences.
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