Introduction


The mission of both Western and Chinese medical practitioners is to cure their patients, provide quality medical services and safeguard the health of the community. Besides taking care of the physical health of patients, doctors have to pay attention to the psychological conditions of their patients as well. They should provide unreserved care to patients with love and compassion.

All along, the public medical care system in Hong Kong has adopted mainly the western medical practice. Although the application of Chinese medicine is quite common, the professional level and work ethics of the Chinese medicine practitioners are varied because there is no supervisory mechanism. In view of this, the SAR Government has made great efforts in promoting the development of Chinese medicine in recent years, and with the implementation of the registration system for Chinese medicine practitioners, their professional status is recognized. The consultation paper on health care reform launched by the Health and Welfare Bureau in 2000 also mentioned that Chinese medicine would be incorporated into the public medical care system gradually.

This section, which consists of two parts (the western medical practitioners and the Chinese medicine practitioners), seeks to give you a better understanding of these two professions.


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