Enquiries on 18 CM Clinics Application
Dear Hospital Authority,
We are B.A. in Translation Studies students who have participated in a GE course conducted by Dr Simon Wang in HKBU. Recently we have compared the two applications, HA Go and 18 CM Clinics, thoroughly and noticed that there are three existing problems in the 18 CM Clinics app. Firstly, due to the lack of private clinics’ participation in the app, patients have limited options in seeking medical treatment. Secondly, the app failed to satisfy patients’ different needs since it only allows one appointment each time. Thirdly, the English language is not available on the 中醫動 website, which may affect the app’s popularity. In order to dig into the root problems, we would like to access the data related to the 18 CM Clinics application. As we sincerely hope our suggestions can improve the app’s quality, please answer the following questions under the Code on Access to Information:
1. Please give us the statistics of the 18 CM clinics App’s registrants divided by elderly (over 65 years old) and younger user groups.
2. Does the app cover all the government-funded Chinese medicine clinics?
3. How many Chinese medicine doctors have received government funding?
4. Are there any interpreting services provided for non-Chinese speakers in the Chinese medicine clinics? Please also provide the no. of interpreting sessions provided in the government clinics in 2020 for reference.
Thank you for considering our request.
Yours sincerely,
Chan Siu Ngan
Ng Yu Yan
Peng Xinyu
Wong Hau Tung
Department of Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies
Hong Kong Baptist University
Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
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Hospital Authority ([1]www.ha.org.hk)
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Dear All,
Thank you for your Application for Access to Information dated 30
September 2021.
As the processing of your request involves consultation with the
department concerned, we are unable to provide you with the information
sought at this stage. You will be advised further in relation to your
request on or before 20 October 2021.
Should you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to
contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Sandy Chu(Miss)
Access to Information Officer
Hospital Authority Head Office
(Tel.: 2300 6568/2300 6555)
Dear All,
Further to my reply dated 8 October 2021, please find below the Hospital
Authority (HA) Head Office’s responses to the items you requested:
Items 1, 2 and 3
The 18 Chinese Medicine Clinics cum Training and Research Centres (CMCTRs)
have been established with one in each district to promote Chinese
medicine (CM) by providing services, training and research. Each CMCTR
operates on a tripartite collaboration model involving the HA, a
non-governmental organisation (NGO) and a local university. Starting from
March 2020, the 18 CMCTRs provide Government-subsidised CM services and
non-Government-subsidised CM services to the public. The NGOs are
responsible for the day-to-day clinic operation and the employment of
staff, including Chinese Medicine Practitioners (CMPs). There were about
440 CMPs employed by the NGOs as at the end of 2020.
The mobile application “18 CM Clinics” provides an additional means for
the general public to make appointments for the Government-subsidised CM
services in the 18 CMCTRs on top of the existing way of telephone booking.
The HA does not compile the statistics you requested under item 1.
According to paragraph 1.14 of the Code on Access to Information, the Code
does not oblige departments to create a record which does not exist. For
the total number of downloads, the latest figures are around 32,000 as at
the end of September 2021.
Item 4
The CMCTRs provide CM services to Cantonese, Mandarin and English speaking
patients in general, and the patients are directly handled by NGOs
operating the CMCTRs. The HA does not have the information you requested
about interpretation services. According to paragraph 1.14 of the Code on
Access to Information, the Code does not oblige departments to create a
record which does not exist.
If you have any questions about this reply, please do not hesitate to
contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Sandy Chu(Miss)
Access to Information Officer
Hospital Authority Head Office
(Tel.: 2300 6568/2300 6555)
From: [1][Hospital Authority request email]
Sent: Friday, October 8, 2021 5:45 PM
To: '[FOI #790 email]'
Cc: '[email address]' ; '[email address]' ;
'[email address]'
Subject: Application for Access to Information (Wong Hau Tung et al.)
Freedom of Information request - Enquiries on 18 CM Clinics Application
Dear All,
Thank you for your Application for Access to Information dated 30
September 2021.
As the processing of your request involves consultation with the
department concerned, we are unable to provide you with the information
sought at this stage. You will be advised further in relation to your
request on or before 20 October 2021.
Should you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to
contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Sandy Chu(Miss)
Access to Information Officer
Hospital Authority Head Office
(Tel.: 2300 6568/2300 6555)
