Two medicine (CM) experts from the Chinese mainland have helped cure SARS patients here in Hong Kong, the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food Yeoh Eng-kiong told the Legislative Council Wednesday. Lin Lin and Yang Zhimin from the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Guangdong Province, arrived Hong Kong in early May to provide expert advice on the use of Chinese medicine in treating SARS patients.
As at May 24, the two experts have conducted a total of 78 consultations for 29 patients in nine acute hospitals. They have also interviewed 37 patients in convalescence, among whom 11 have been recruited to participate in the clinical study for convalescing patients, the secretary said.
Since arrival, they have been working closely with CM experts from the three local universities in Hong Kong which offer Chinesemedicine programs to develop relevant clinical and research protocols using the model of collaboration of Chinese medicine andwestern medicine for SARS treatment.
Yeoh said that as at May 24, 2003, they have received a total of 298 proposals related to Chinese medicine therapy for the treatment of SARS, of which 188 are from Hong Kong, 92 from the mainland and 14 from overseas.
The Hospital Authority of Hong Kong has set up a CM Expert Panel on SARS Exploratory Treatment, which comprises local and mainland experts in CM and other experts from the HA and Department of Health, to coordinate the use of CM in the treatment of SARS.
