On April 12, the opening ceremony of the "Guangdong-Hong Kong Advanced Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Clinical Training Program" was held at Guangdong Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital (GDHTCM) on Dade Road, Guangzhou.
According to the plan jointly initiated by GDHTCM and the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong, 20 medical personnel will be selected from TCM practitioners in Hong Kong with more than 8 years of clinical experience or those who have previously participated in the Greater Bay Area TCM Visiting Scholars Program. Over a period of 2 years, these selected practitioners will undergo an 8-month clinical training program in collaboration with Western medicine at GDHTCM.
On April 12, the opening ceremony of the "Guangdong-Hong Kong Advanced Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Clinical Training Program" was held at GDHTCM. (Photo provided to GDToday)
The training will include duties such as clinical diagnosis, prescription review, and patient management. Currently, the first batch of 5 TCM practitioners has obtained short-term qualifications in the Chinese mainland and has begun clinical work at the Acupuncture and Neurology Departments.
Wong Tun-kei, a TCM practitioner from Tung Wah Group of Hospitals - The University of Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (Central & Western District), said that in Hong Kong, TCM practitioners are more involved in outpatient services, providing internal medicine and acupuncture services, and less involved in inpatient services. "Here, I have learned many traditional Chinese medical treatments while also gaining a better understanding of Western medicine." He hopes to apply more integrated traditional Chinese and Western medical treatments in patient care, particularly when dealing with critically ill inpatients, and to work together with other healthcare professionals in Hong Kong to safeguard public health.
During the opening ceremony, Zhang Zhongde, Vice President of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and President of GDHTCM, emphasized the hospital's commitment to training a group of backbone talents who not only inherit the academic thoughts of TCM but also possess the technical expertise and collaborative diagnosis and treatment capabilities of both Chinese and Western medicine.
Dr. Tony Ko Pat-sing, Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong, said that this training program is the other major breakthrough following the "Greater Bay Area TCM Visiting Scholars Program," which first introduced the "Master and Apprentice" model in Hong Kong. It allows Hong Kong TCM practitioners to join clinical teams in Greater Bay Area TCM hospitals as practicing TCM physicians, serving as inpatient physicians, obtaining prescribing rights, and directly participating in clinical work.
He added, "By joining hospital teams in Guangdong under the guidance of department directors, Hong Kong's TCM practitioners will be fully responsible for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of patients, which can comprehensively improve their clinical diagnosis and treatment capabilities." He hopes that the cooperation between Guangdong and Hong Kong, can further the high-quality development of TCM and its globalization.
Since August 2022, GDHTCM and the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong have launched the Guangdong-Hong Kong medical cooperation TCM exchange project, the "Greater Bay Area TCM Visiting Scholars Program". Four batches of experienced TCM practitioners have been sent to Hong Kong for clinical training and research exchanges. The "Guangdong-Hong Kong Advanced TCM Clinical Training Program" is a follow-up project, aiming to deepen cooperation and strengthen training to promote in-depth cultural exchanges in TCM between Guangdong and Hong Kong, and explore new models of high-level cooperation between Chinese and Western medicine.
Reporter | Hannah
Editor | Nan, Abby, James
