On September 11th, the BIOHK2024 Hong Kong International Biotechnology Forum and Exhibition grandly opened at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The forum was attended by prominent figures such as Dr. Leung Chun-ying, Vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government; Professor Yu Cheung-Hoi , Chairman of the Hong Kong Biotechnology Organization and Chairman of BIOHK2024, and Professor LO Yuk Lam, Honorary Chairman of the Hong Kong Biotechnology Organization. Senior executives from globally renowned enterprises joined them to witness the forum’s opening.

The Primary Healthcare and Digital Health Development Forum (hereafter referred to as "the Forum") and the establishment ceremony of the Hong Kong Biotechnology Organization’s Digital Primary Healthcare Sub-committee (hereafter referred to as "the Subcommittee") were held simultaneously. As a leading primary healthcare service company in Hong Kong, OPH was invited to attend and was selected as a founding council member of the Subcommittee, contributing to its development planning. During the event, OPH signed a strategic agreement with the Department of Electrical Engineering at the City University of Hong Kong’s College of Engineering, focusing on an innovative "industry-academia-research" cooperation model. This partnership marks the first successful outcome of the Subcommittee in the field of industry-academia-research innovation, signifying a significant step forward in digitalization and the formal launch of a targeted initiative to enhance primary healthcare services across Hong Kong.

The forum invited representatives from the HKSAR government departments such as the Health Bureau and the Primary Healthcare Office, Legislative members, leading universities, including the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and the City University of Hong Kong, along with guests from the Hong Kong Biotechnology Organization and its council members. Together, they shared insights and strategies to promote the digital development of primary healthcare services in Hong Kong. OPH also presented its ideas on building a primary healthcare system and how technology can empower grassroots healthcare practices.

In a ceremony witnessed by the Legislative Council, Health Bureau, City University of Hong Kong, and the Biotechnology Organization council members, Professor Yu Cheung-Hoi, Chairman of the Hong Kong Biotechnology Organization, and Mr. Chan Yi-ngok, Vice President, unveiled the Subcommittee plaque. The establishment of the Subcommittee signals that primary healthcare services in the region will now be digitally enhanced, ushering in a new era of development. Going forward, the Subcommittee aims to "further promote the aggregation of Hong Kong’s innovative technology industry and drive the digital development of primary healthcare across the region." It is committed to "improving primary healthcare standards and providing high-quality services to Hong Kong citizens."

The Subcommittee has also appointed five experts—Dr. Pong Chiu Fai, Jeffrey; Dr. LAU Shun Tung, Benjamin; Dr. Lee Kong Ngai, Paul; Dr. NG Man Cheuk, Alfred; and Mr. Lam Tsz Pan, Ben—as honorary advisors to contribute expertise to its mission.

During the forum, key figures such as the initiator of the "Ten-Year Primary Healthcare Plan," Legislative Council member the Hon CHAN Hoi-yan; the Hon Duncan Chiu, Legislative Council member, IT expert, and Chairman of the IT Services Committee of the Hospital Authority; and Professor Sophia Chan, former Secretary for Food and Health and current Director of the Centre for Primary Healthcare and Public Health at the University of Hong Kong, expressed the importance of digital technologies in empowering healthcare development. They emphasized the government's strong commitment to digital transformation in healthcare, focusing on a system-wide, preventive, and community-based approach that will benefit more Hong Kong citizens. Simultaneously, keynote speakers such as Professor Wang Yu, Chairman of Chinese Foundation for Hepatitis Prevention and Control, the Former Director General of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Co-Chair of WELL Living Lab China; Professor Yang Mengsu, Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise), Yeung Kin-Man Chair Professor (Biomedical Sciences), and Director of the Tung Biomedical Sciences Centre of City University of Hong Kong (CityU); and Professor Guo Yongxin, Chair Professor of Electronic Engineering under the Global STEM Professorship Scheme at the Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Fellow of Singapore Academy of Engineering, shared their views on the digital transformation of Hong Kong’s primary healthcare services and successful integration of mainland China and Hong Kong’s healthcare practices.

In recent years, under the guidance of the "Hong Kong Primary Healthcare Blueprint," OPH has actively participated in constructing the region's primary healthcare network and the Hong Kong cross-border pharmaceutical services platform. The HKSAR government and related healthcare departments have highly recognized these efforts. During the event, OPH’s CTO, Mr. Wang Xiaodong, showcased OPH’s capabilities in constructing primary healthcare systems and its digital product advantages, sharing insights from real-life projects.

During the roundtable discussion, OPH’s International Business General Manager, Mr. Cao Fei, representing a leading technology enterprise in the region, shared his thoughts with other experts on practically enhancing Hong Kong’s primary healthcare capabilities and contributing to the development of grassroots healthcare services.