Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau attended the launch ceremony for standardised training of specialists at the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Medical Specialist Training Centre today.

The launch marks a milestone for Shenzhen-Hong Kong co-operation in nurturing medical specialists.

The training centre, based at the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, is the result of a partnership involving the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, the Shenzhen Municipal Health Commission, the Shenzhen Medical Doctor Association and the hospital.

Leveraging Hong Kong’s strengths in developing internationalised medical talent, the centre is intended as a contribution to developing a system for training medical specialists on the Mainland that is on a par with international practice.

Currently, it offers training in seven specialties, namely clinical oncology, nephrology, emergency medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, general paediatrics, neurosurgery and anaesthesiology. A total of 12 hospitals in Shenzhen are engaged as pilot sites.

Addressing the ceremony in Shenzhen, Prof Lo said: “Riding on the specialist training model and experience of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine and taking into account the practical situation in the Mainland, the training centre exemplifies the seamless co-operation between the two places.

“This also serves as a pioneer demonstration in fostering the nurturing of medical talent in Shenzhen, the Great Bay Area and the nation as a whole.”

The health chief also said he is looking forward to more in-depth exchanges between Mainland and Hong Kong healthcare professionals.

This would set the stage, he added, for the steady development of the nation’s and the bay area’s healthcare sectors under the principles of complementarity and mutual benefits.