More than 450 patients have benefited from the “Hong Kong and Macao Medicine and Equipment Connect” policy at the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH), which has introduced 13 types of imported drugs that are urgently needed for clinical use and four types of imported medical devices, the hospital said Friday.

HKU-SZH was designated as the first hospital to pilot the policy, as per a work plan issued by the National Medical Products Administration in November 2020. Last August, the policy was later expanded and implemented in cities across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Photo by HKUSZH

As of March 2022, HKU-SZH had introduced medications such as Rho(D) immune globulin, alpelisib film-coated tablets and budesonide, as well as medical equipment including MAGEC growing rods, Spot Ex endoscopic tattoo, cell sorting and processing system and TYRXTM absorbable antibacterial envelope, according to the hospital.

These medications and medical equipment are used in obstetrics, hematology, oncology and orthopedics.

According to HKU-SZH, the medical policy benefits not only mainland residents, but also cross-border patients.

Since the end of 2021, two Hong Kong children who were unable to return to Hong Kong for treatment due to the COVID-19 pandemic have successfully completed their medical treatment using the MAGEC growing rods introduced by HKU-SZH.

Separately, the hospital said Friday that the special support scheme for Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority (HA) for chronic disease patients residing in Guangdong Province will continue until Nov. 9, 2022.

An additional 1,000-yuan (US$157) subsidy will be granted to each patient, enabling these patients to continue receiving subsidized medical consultation at HKU-SZH during the COVID pandemic.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government launched the special support scheme on Nov. 10, 2020, and commissioned HKU-SZH to provide subsidized follow-up consultations for patients with scheduled appointments at designated specialist outpatient clinics or general outpatient clinics under the HA.

As of March 31, HKU-SZH had scheduled about 42,700 medical appointments for eligible patients. Among them, about 35,600 had received medical consultations, according to the hospital.

In order to facilitate Hong Kong residents who have a long stay in the mainland to see doctors, the Hong Kong SAR Government also launched the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme in October 2015, and designated HKU-SZH as the only pilot hospital for the use of the vouchers.

According to HKU-SZH, over 46,000 medical consultations have been made so far by eligible Hong Kong elders under the scheme.

Written by Zhang Yu, Chen Huanqing

Source: Shenzhen Daily