Hong Kong 2006

Under existing legislation, 12 types of healthcare professionals are required to be registered with their respective boards or councils before they are allowed to practise in Hong Kong. As at December 31, 2006, the professionals registered with their respective boards and councils numbered: 11 739 doctors, 1 976 dentists, 5 336 Chinese medicine practitioners, 36 444 nurses (including registered and enrolled nurses), 4 648 midwives, 1 649 pharmacists, 90 chiropractors, 2 034 physiotherapists, 1 225 occupational therapists, 2 584 medical laboratory technologists, 1 925 optometrists and 1 605 radiographers.

To become a registered Chinese medicine practitioner (CMP) qualified for practice in Hong Kong, a person must have satisfactorily completed an approved undergraduate degree course of training in Chinese medicine practice or its equivalent, and have passed a licensing examination. As a transitional arrangement for the registration of CMPs, persons who were practising Chinese medicine in Hong Kong on January 3, 2000 were eligible to become listed CMPs. Depending on their practising experience and academic qualification, listed CMPs could become registered through direct registration, passing the Registration Assessment or passing the licensing examination. The Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong conducted Part I and Part II of the 2006 Chinese Medicine Practitioners Licensing Examination in June and August respectively. By year-end, 5 336 and 2 897 Chinese medicine practitioners were registered (including 68 Chinese medicine practitioners with limited registration) and listed respectively with the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong.

The regulation of Western medicines in Hong Kong is stipulated under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance. Acting on the authority of the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, the Department of Health registers and approves the marketing of pharmaceutical products, issues licences to drug manufacturers, importers, wholesalers and retailers, and takes action against illegal sale of controlled drugs in collaboration with the Hong Kong Police Force. Legislative controls are also enforced on poisons, antibiotics and dangerous drugs.

During 2006, 3 873 applications for registration of pharmaceutical products were approved. At year-end, there were 19 940 pharmaceutical products registered in Hong Kong.

The subsidiary legislation on Chinese medicines was passed by the Legislative Council in April 2003. Since then, any persons engaged in retail or wholesale of Chinese herbal medicines, manufacture or wholesale of proprietary Chinese medicines (pCm), are required to be licensed. Any pCm sold, imported or possessed in Hong Kong must be registered. The Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong is now the responsible body for devising and implementing regulatory measures for Chinese medicine. Applications for Chinese medicine trader licences and for registration of proprietary Chinese medicines have been opened since April 2003. By the end of 2006, 8 554 and 16 143 applications were received respectively.

Under the Human Organ Transplant Ordinance, transplant of human organs and importation of human organs for transplant purposes are regulated, and commercial dealings in human organs intended for transplant are prohibited. Approval from the statutory Human Organ Transplant Board is required for transplantation of human organs between persons who are not genetically related or a couple whose marriage has subsisted for not more than three years. The board also collects certain information about transplant operations in prescribed statutory forms.

In 2006, the board received 25 applications for organ transplants between living non-related persons. No organs were imported into Hong Kong for transplant purposes during 2006.

Human reproductive technology activities are regulated to ensure safety of the procedures and welfare of the child born with such technology. The Human Reproductive Technology Ordinance³, enacted in 2000, confines the application of reproductive technology procedures to infertile married couples, regulates surrogacy arrangements and the use of embryos and gametes for research and other purposes, and prohibits commercial dealings in gametes or embryos and using donated gametes in surrogacy arrangement. The use of reproductive technology in permitted circumstances is regulated through a licensing system to be administered by the Council on Human Reproductive Technology established under the ordinance. For the purpose of regulating human reproductive technology activities, the council has made reference to international practices and consulted with the reproductive technology profession, social workers, legal practitioners, academia and ethical groups to draw up a code of practice setting out requirements, standards and best practices for embryo researchers and reproductive technology practitioners.

To prevent the introduction of quarantinable diseases and other serious infectious diseases into Hong Kong via air, land or sea immigration control points, the Port Health Office under the Department of Health enforces measures stipulated by the International Health Regulations and the Quarantine and Prevention of Disease Ordinance.

Travellers arriving in Hong Kong at various immigration control points are required to go through temperature screening as a precautionary measure to reduce the risk of bringing in avian influenza into Hong Kong. Preventive service including medical consultation, vaccination, prophylactic medication and advice on travel-related risks are offered to travellers. Collaboration is forged with the travel industry. Travel health information is further disseminated via the website, www.travelhealth.gov.hk

Under the Radiation Ordinance, the Radiation Board was set up to control the import, export, possession and use of radioactive substances and irradiating apparatus. On the other hand, the Radiation Health Unit of the Department of Health advises the Government on the health effects of radiation fields and protection of public health in areas such as nuclear incidents and management of radioactive materials and wastes. It safeguards public health against ionising radiation through licensing control and inspection of premises where radioactive substances or irradiating apparatuses are present. It also conducts radiation monitoring measurements for occupationally exposed persons, maintains the radiation dosimetry metrology standards for environmental level and occupational protection level radiation dosimetry measurements of Hong Kong, and provides the related standard calibration services.

As a service improvement initiative, it has taken up the import licensing services for radioactive substances and irradiating apparatus from the Trade and Industry Department from July 10, 2006 onwards. This arrangement enables a 'one-stop shop' service for traders and users of radiation sources, and 'cradle to grave' management of radioactive substances, all under one centralised office.

In 2006, the unit assessed and issued 9 540 licences and permits according to the Radiation Ordinance, and 1 874 licences and permits according to the Import (Radiation) (Prohibition) Regulations, and provided monitoring service to 8 978 occupationally exposed persons. The average radiation exposure of the occupationally exposed persons was 0.08 mSv against an annual statutory limit of 20 mSv.