11 Oct 2018

Professor Gabriel Leung, Dean of Medicine of The University of Hong Kong (HKU), welcomes the various new initiatives to enhance medical education and healthcare services as announced by the Chief Executive in her 2018 Policy Address. 

Professor Leung commented that HKUMed resolutely supports the proposal to ban electronic cigarettes and other new smoking products.  The medical and education sectors have long regarded that electronic cigarettes and other new smoking products are as harmful to health as conventional cigarettes and are gateways to cigarette smoking for youth. 

“The Chief Executive’s brave decision for a total ban on electronic and other new cigarette products will protect and improve the health of the Hong Kong people for generations to come.  It is the most significant milestone of tobacco control since the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance amended in 2007.  I now look forward to next year’s Budget for a commensurate effort in raising taxes on existing tobacco products by the Financial Secretary,” said Professor Leung.

Professor Leung also remarked that the Faculty welcomes the Government’s proposal to earmark about $20 billion for enhancement of teaching facilities at three universities including HKU, in response to expanding the number of healthcare training places to meet the increasing demand for healthcare services in Hong Kong. HKUMed will proactively develop detailed plans for the redevelopment of the Sassoon Road medical campus.

There are four State Key Laboratories at HKUMed, namely, State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Liver Research and State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. With the annual funding for each State Key Laboratory increased to $10 million supporting scientific research and commercialisation of outputs, we will redouble our efforts on further expanding our scientific and technology platforms to fully unleash our strengths in research, advancing the frontiers of biomedical sciences.

HKU will continue to support the Government in its direction and policy to improve our healthcare system and services, and work with the Government on the plan for expanding medical hardware facilities and manpower requirements of healthcare professionals.