Hong Kong’s first Chinese medicine hospital commenced phased launch on Thursday, marking an important milestone in the development of Chinese medicine in the city.

Located at 1 Pak Shing Kok Road in Tseung Kwan O, the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong will offer outpatient and day-patient services as well as six specialized Chinese medicine services in the first year.

The six specialized services included internal medicine, external medicine, gynecology, pediatrics, orthopedics and traumatology, as well as acupuncture and moxibustion.

The hospital also launched 12 special disease programs in the first year, including those for elderly degenerative diseases and stroke rehabilitation.

The hospital began accepting appointments in November and the quota for government-subsidized general outpatient services in the first month was full already, a government spokesperson said in a statement.

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Speaking about growing public demand, Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said, “In response to the keen public demand, we have requested the hospital to increase the quota for government-subsidized general outpatient services in the first month after service commencement for members of the public to make appointments.”

Specifically, the service quota in the first 10 days of operation has been doubled, while the quota has also been increased by an additional 30 percent starting Thursday for the remaining days of the first month upon service commencement, the secretary pointed out.

Patients may also make appointments for the non-subsidized outpatient clinic, where they can select their preferred Chinese medicine practitioners, he added.

The hospital will provide medical fee waivers to victims of the fire at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court. All residents of the eight-block housing estate, including foreign domestic helpers, and all individuals injured in the Nov 26 fire and admitted to public hospitals under the Hospital Authority will receive full fee waivers until Dec 31, 2026, covering all government-subsidized services.

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Sixty-five percent of the hospital's total service volume are government-subsidized, whereas the hospital will also provide market-oriented services to foster positive interaction between the hospital and private market, according to the spokesperson.

The hospital adopts a public-private partnership model with its construction fully funded by the government. Hong Kong Baptist University was selected as the contractor through tendering procedures in 2021 to act as the operator for managing, operating, and maintaining the hospital.

The service commencement marked a significant milestone in the development of Chinese medicine in the city, signifying the progression of Chinese medicine to go beyond primary healthcare and play a part in secondary and tertiary healthcare services, Secretary Lo said.

The hospital will hold open days on Jan 17-18, 2026 for the public to better understand its services and mode of operation.

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To facilitate public access, the hospital will provide free shuttle services between Tiu Keng Leng station, LOHAS Park station, and the hospital's main entrance.