Hong Kong holds groundbreaking ceremony of Chinese Medicine Hospital

HONG KONG, June 2 (Xinhua) -- A groundbreaking ceremony of Hong Kong's Chinese Medicine Hospital and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute was held here on Thursday, marking a new milestone for the development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong.

The two flagship projects are expected to be completed by 2025, with services to be commenced in phases, according to an official press release.

Addressing the ceremony, HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the country for its staunch support and the help being extended by different mainland ministries in the planning stage of the two projects and in applying the Chinese medicine during Hong Kong's anti-epidemic fight.

"Today's groundbreaking ceremony heralds the start of a significant page for Hong Kong's Chinese medicine development, with the two flagship projects serving as a strong impetus," Lam said.

Commissioned by the HKSAR government and to be operated by Hong Kong Baptist University under a public-private-partnership model, the Chinese Medicine Hospital will be developed into a local flagship Chinese medicine institution and a change driver in promoting the development of services, education, training, innovation and research of the Chinese medicine in Hong Kong.

The HKSAR Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute, to be managed by the Department of Health of the HKSAR government, will specialize in testing and scientific research of Chinese medicines, with focuses on research and establishing internationally recognized reference standards on the safety, quality and testing methodology of Chinese medicines through state-of-the-art technology.

Located in Pak Shing Kok in Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong's Chinese Medicine Hospital and the HKSAR Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute cover 4.29 and 1.72 hectares of land, respectively.