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The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) held the ground breaking ceremony of The CUHK Medical Centre today (8 December), symbolizing the commencement of the Centre’s construction. CUHK has been preparing for the establishment of the city’s first not-for-profit and self-financed teaching hospital since 2014, with the aim of serving the people of Hong Kong, enhancing the quality of teaching and research, and contributing to the healthcare system of Hong Kong.

Officiating guests at the ceremony included Dr. the Honourable Ko Wing-man, Secretary for Food and Health, HKSAR Government, Mr. Patrick Nip, Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Health), HKSAR Government, Dr. Constance Chan Hon-yee, Director of Health, HKSAR Government, Dr. Leung Pak-yin, Chief Executive, Hospital Authority, Dr. Norman N P Leung, Chairman of the Council, CUHK, Mr. Chien Lee, Chairman, Board of Directors, CUHK Medical Centre, Dr. Simon S O Ip, Chairman, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Prof. Joseph J Y Sung, Vice-Chancellor and President, CUHK, Dr. Edgar Cheng Wai-kin, Member, Board of Directors, CUHK Medical Centre, Prof. Francis K L Chan, Dean of Medicine, CUHK, Dr. Fung Hong, Executive Director, CUHK Medical Centre, Miss Amy Chan, District Officer (Sha Tin), Home Affairs Department and Mr. Sammy Zhou, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, China State Construction International Holdings Limited. About 200 honoured guests and members of the university attended the ceremony and celebrated the new milestone in local healthcare services.

The CUHK Medical Centre is wholly-owned by CUHK. The hospital provides a full range of medical services and serves as a key base for clinical research, healthcare education and training. Prof. Joseph J Y Sung, Vice-Chancellor and President, CUHK, said, ‘The CUHK Medical Centre is a not-for-profit hospital. Any surplus from the Medical Centre will be used to support its future development, and meet the teaching and research needs of the CUHK Faculty of Medicine. The mission of the hospital is to provide “Pioneering Solutions in Healthcare”. Its continuous striving for innovation will mean that local citizens can enjoy the advanced, high-quality medical services of the hospital.’ Prof. Sung added ‘With the aim of serving the people of Hong Kong, The CUHK Medical Centre belongs to the people of Hong Kong and will be devoted to addressing the medical needs of the sizeable middle-class.’

Dr. the Honourable Ko Wing-man, Secretary for Food and Health, HKSAR Government, said, ‘The CUHK Medical Centre not only provides an alternative for the people of Hong Kong, but also brings positive impacts upon the private healthcare system’s development in terms of hospital management, clinical quality, service standard and price transparency.’ Dr. Ko told the audience that CUHK has also committed to help alleviate the current pressure on the public healthcare sector by taking up referrals of specialist outpatient and day procedure cases from the Hospital Authority (HA). This partnership arrangement will have the benefit of shortening waiting times for public services on the one hand and, on the other hand, help ensure a comprehensive and diverse case mix and the quality of training offered by The CUHK Medical Centre.

Dr. Simon S O Ip, Chairman, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said, ‘The CUHK Medical Centre underlines our commitment to improving the health and well-being of all our citizens,’ observed Dr Ip. ‘At HK$1.3 billion, our donation is the single largest ever made by the Club’s Charities Trust to medical services. We are pleased to support this important initiative to bring affordable healthcare to a broad range of our citizens and also help to relieve some pressure on our over-stretched public hospitals. Also, being a teaching hospital, it will help to train and develop healthcare professionals in our city, supplementing the facilities in existing teaching hospitals.’ 

In sincere appreciation of the HK$1.3 billion donation from The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) Charities Trust to the construction of The CUHK Medical Centre, CUHK will name one of the clinical blocks after HKJC.

Dr. Norman N P Leung, Chairman of the Council, CUHK, expressed his deep gratitude to The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, other benefactors and dedicated alumni for their generous donations. He also thanked the HKSAR Government, in particular the Food and Health Bureau for their support, and the coordination works by the Department of Health, the Treasury, Lands Department, the Buildings Department, the Transport Department, the Civil Engineering and Development Department, the Highways Department, Shatin District Office, Sha Tin, Tai Po and the North District Councils. He believed that ‘The new CUHK Medical Centre will become a valuable asset for further enhancing the healthcare of the community and serve as a hub for quality medical education and research.’

Quality and patient-centered healthcare services

The CUHK Medical Centre will provide innovative and patient-centered healthcare services, with package prices offered for 70% of inpatient services. This will bridge the service gap between private and public healthcare sectors by providing high-quality medical services with transparent and affordable pricing to middle-class families, so alleviating the pressure on the public healthcare system.

The CUHK Medical Centre will provide a full range of medical services, including Anaesthesiology, Cardiology, Chinese Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Geriatrics, General Medicine, General Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Oncology, Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology, Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Paediatrics, Pharmacy, Psychiatry and Mental Health, Renal Medicine and Urology. There will be 16 medical centres served by dedicated professional teams, including a 24-Hour Clinic, Allied Health Services, Cardiac Intervention Centre, Day Cancer Therapy Centre, Day Surgery Centre, Diagnostic & Interventional Radiology Centre, Elderly Day Centre, Digestive Medicine & Endoscopy Centre, Eye Centre, Haemodialysis Centre, Integrated Outpatient Clinic, Assisted Reproductive Technology Centre, Radiotherapy Centres, Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Centre, Urology Centre and Wellness Centre.

Situated at prime location with pleasant surroundings

The CUHK Medical Centre will cover a total construction floor area of 100,000 m² and will provide around 600 beds. It is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2020 and start operation in the second quarter. The hospital is conveniently located next to the MTR University Station and the public transport exchange. The design of the hospital embodies patient-centered principles, which allows patients to recover in pleasant surroundings. The hospital incorporates green designs, which includes setting out courtyards, gardens and balconies in different areas within the hospital. The patient rooms are spacious with choices of one-bed, two-bed or four-bed rooms. They are designed to maximize space to ensure patients’ privacy and smooth the work flows of the medical staffs. The hospital will also adopt user friendly interior designs and facilities, like creating colour scheme for different areas, providing clear signage for easy navigation, and including safety features for the elderly and barrier free access design.

For more information about The CUHK Medical Centre, please click into the hospital website: www.cuhkmc.hk

Source: Communications and Public Relations Office, The Chinese University of Hong Kong