"HK aims to aid world development of Chinese medicine"
A Health Bureau official said on Saturday that he hopes the completion of the first traditional Chinese medicine hospital in Hong Kong will enable the sector's development both locally and internationally.  The 400-bed hospital, which will be in Tseung Kwan O, is expected to open next year.  Cheung Wai-lun, the bureau's director for the project, said officials want to coordinate and promote the quality development of Chinese medicine. "Besides local development of the sector, we hope to cooperate with the motherland's development plans in this area. That is to use Hong Kong as a platform - like a display window - to showcase to the world how Chinese medicine can be applied," he said on an RTHK programme. He said the hospital will link up with 18 public Chinese medicine clinics - which are also training and research centres - to provide services, with the clinics referring patients to the hospital.  Cheung said that he hoped hospital charges will be set out next year, with an emphasis on affordable prices.