Dr' CHOI Kin

1

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• Dr. CHOI Kin
• President, Hong Kong Medical Association

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• The Hong Kong Medical Association welcomes
  delegates from Beijing and Macau as well as
  colleagues in Hong Kong to this Beijing/ Hong
  Kong Medical Exchange Forum.

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• This is the eighth time we hold this exchange to
  foster academic relationship and knowledge
  exchange and transfer between China and Hong
  Kong.

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• The forum was first initiated in 1997 to discuss
  pediatric problems and since then have proceed to
  look into Obstetrics Gynaecology, Cardiology,
  Diabetes, Orthopaedics, the Climacteric and AID
  Sexual Health in China and Hong Kong.

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• Useful dialogues have emerged and we decided on
  our topic in Community and Family Medicine this
  year.

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• Family medicine is provided by primary care
  physicians and provided at the first point of
  contact. It is undifferentiated medicine,
  holistic in nature, and requires the doctor to
  look at the physical, psychological and social
  aspect of the patient.

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• The family physician acts as a gate keeper to
  help minimize unnecessary investigations and
  hospital admissions. He treats the person
  instead of an organ and looks after and supports
  the family instead of just a single patient. He
  uses evidence-based medicine to treat his patient
  and offers preventive care for his patients.

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• Numerous studies in various countries have
  confirmed that the family medicine approach is
  the most cost-effective way to provide medical
  care to the population.

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• We have witnessed a shift in emphasis in Hong
  Kong in the last few years with government
  providing more resources for Family Medicine.
  More training opportunities in this field have
  been opened up for young graduates to ensure a
  safe practicing standard in the community when
  they finish their contract.

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• But have we looked at the market requirement?
  Have we looked at their training program and see
  if it really helps the young trainees to survive
  in the community? Have we followed their
  post-training course, their job opportunities
  since departure from the Hospital Authority and
  their salary scale since? Have we monitored their
  standards after they left their training post in
  the Hospital Authority?

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• All these unanswered questions have implications
  on the content of the training program.

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• In China, we have heard and witnessed a
  determination for change. We know that it is
  difficult for the vast population in rural China
  to get good medical care. We know about red
  packets and rebates and saw it on television
  reports. We have our doubts on some of the
  standard practices in China including the
  intravenous drips for almost all attendance.

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• We read about the false and fatal medications and
  drugs created by the pharmaceutical industry. We
  can appreciate that the Health Minister demanded
  changes.

14

• The linkage between China and Hong Kong in
  collaborating to standardize specialist program
  and examination has been hailed as a success.
  However, most specialist service is out of bound
  to the majority of rural population in China.

15

• We learned that China may wish to model itself
  after NHS in health care. But NHS can only
  foster in a welfare state, in a country where
  taxation is high, and although at one time was a
  pride of the United Kingdom, is fast collapsing
  because of colossal demand despite huge financial
  support.

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• China and Hong Kong must have its own way
  forward. We may look for guidance in the way
  that primary care is provided in other countries,
  but in the end, we must have our own way based on
  our own doctors training, standard, our own
  taxation system, and our own vision of how much
  basic care should be provided to citizens that
  will satisfy their demand for health care.

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• I hope we have a fruitful discussion.
•  
• Thank you.