City University of Hong Kong (CityU) hosted the “Public Forum on Hong Kong Healthcare Reform”, the second of its Public Policy Roundtable Series, on 5 June to generate more diverse healthcare policy views and enrich the policy process.

 

Jointly organised by the Governance in Asia Research Centre (GARC) of CityU and SynergyNet, the Hong Kong Public Policy Roundtable Series provides a platform for informed policy discussions among politicians, think tanks, academics, business, government and civil society. The series also exemplifies CityU’s commitment to improving policy planning and policy analysis, and enhancing policy-making and policy implementation in Asia, in both the public and non-profit-making sectors.

 

Professor Julia Tao Lai Po-wah, Director of GARC, and Professor Lui Tai-lok, Vice-Chairman of SynergyNet, opened the forum with their introductory remarks. “The forum aims to promote among the general public, greater interest in public policy,” said Professor Tao.

 

The forum was divided into two sessions. Professor Tao and Dr Louis Shih, Chairman of SynergyNet, chaired the panel discussions. The first discussed the Healthcare Reform Consultation Document from a critical perspective. Panel speakers, including Dr the Honourable Leong Che-hung, Chairman, Elderly Commission, HKSAR; Dr Ho Hung-kwong, President, Hong Kong Public Doctors’ Association; Mr Tim Pang Hung-cheong, Community Organiser, Society for Community Organisation; Professor Kenneth Lee Kwing-chin, Professor and Associate Director of External Affairs, School of Pharmacy, Chinese University of Hong Kong; and Mr Michael Somerville, Chairman, Health Care Committee, Business and Professionals Federation of Hong Kong, expressed their views on what improvements Hong Kong should be aiming to make.

 

The forum participants then had an in-depth discussion on the six options listed in the Healthcare Reform Consultation Document.

 

In the second session, guest speakers including Dr the Honourable York Chow Yat-ngok, Secretary for Food and Health, HKSAR; and Mr Cheung Tak-hai, Chairperson, Alliance for Patients’ Mutual Help, responded and discussed the principles and priorities that should be pursued.

 

The discussion in the forum is to be published in the quarterly Policy Journal that will be available to the public both online and in hard copy.

 

The Public Policy Roundtable Series includes four roundtable forums tackling some of the most contentious areas of public policy in the city. The first forum on poverty was held in February. The coming forums, focusing on corporate social responsibility and Hong Kong’s role as an educational hub, will be held in September and December 2008 respectively.