National People's Congress Deputy Lam Shun-chiu Advocates Multi-faceted Greater Bay Area Healthcare Collaboration

China Business News/China Commercial Network (Reporter Li Meng): “In the medical field, Hong Kong’s multi-faceted cooperation with the entire Greater Bay Area holds great promise,” said Lam Shun-chiu, Chairman of C-MER Medical Holdings Limited and a deputy to the National People’s Congress, in an interview with China Business News. Lam told the reporter that during this year’s Two Sessions, he paid close attention to the issue of medical cooperation and development within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. He predicted that the Greater Bay Area would surely be built into a world-class bay area and a globally renowned city cluster.

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“The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link on the ground will help realize a ‘one-hour living circle’ within the Greater Bay Area. Coupled with 5G internet connectivity, the future interconnectivity in terms of human flow, logistics, capital flow, and information flow presents a significant opportunity for every city in the region. With strong national policy support and geographical advantages, Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao will deepen their cooperation and joint efforts in more areas in the days to come,” said Lam Shun-chiu.

Lin Shunchao stated that every city in the Greater Bay Area has a demand for healthcare services. It is expected that an increasing number of people will choose to retire in the Greater Bay Area, leading to growing demand for medical care. The geographical and policy advantages will also make Hong Kong’s medical institutions more interested in expanding into cities on the mainland.

Lin Shunchao told a reporter from China Business News that approximately 60% of doctors in Hong Kong work in private hospitals or operate their own clinics. With the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong doctors are also eager to practice medicine on the mainland. The establishment of the Greater Bay Area will help facilitate the sharing of medical resources and the orderly opening of the private healthcare market, thereby filling gaps that public hospitals are unable to address. Meanwhile, it will provide patients with more choices and achieve effective patient分流 (triage/diversion).

However, at present, there are still several difficulties in achieving cooperation in the medical field within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Lin Shunchao told a reporter from China Business News that, regarding medication, differences between the drug formularies of mainland China and Hong Kong create inconveniences in treatment. There are also hurdles in obtaining qualifications and business licenses; “establishing a clinic in the mainland requires undergoing multiple inspections, including environmental impact assessments and fire safety checks, resulting in an excessively long approval process.” Despite geographical proximity and convenient transportation links, Hong Kong doctors face time-consuming border crossings when traveling to the mainland to practice medicine, leading to significant travel time.

In response to these issues, Lam Shun-chiu has recommended that relevant authorities provide support through preferential policies by establishing a high-end international medical center in the Qianhai Special Economic Zone of Shenzhen. Preferential treatments, such as favorable site selection and tax subsidies, should be offered, while supporting facilities—such as international schools—should be further enhanced. These measures aim to attract Hong Kong doctors to open clinics and hospitals, thereby promoting deeper cooperation in the healthcare sector within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Lin Shunchao stated that the interconnectivity of medical talent, in addition to Hong Kong doctors practicing medicine in mainland China, can also be achieved through collaborative efforts in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, such as Hong Kong higher education institutions establishing branch campuses in mainland China.

Lin Shunchao also stated that Hong Kong’s integration with the international community provides greater opportunities to host international conferences. By harnessing the collective strength of the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong can extend its international advantages to other cities in the region, fostering mutual assistance and common development.