Prequalification for operation of Chinese Medicine Hospital in Tseung Kwan O

     The Food and Health Bureau (FHB) today (September 13) invited applications for prequalification for the operation of the Chinese Medicine Hospital (CMH) in Tseung Kwan O.

     The Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, said, "The Chief Executive announced in the 2018 Policy Address the Government's commitment to the development of Chinese medicine. Through the Government subsidising defined Chinese medicine services, including a combination of subsidised in-patient and out-patient services offered by the future CMH, Chinese medicine will be incorporated into the healthcare system in Hong Kong. The CMH, being the first of its kind in Hong Kong, will serve as the flagship Chinese medicine institution leading the development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong. It will also be a change driver – promoting service development, education and training, innovation and research, and strengthening exchanges among organisations dealing with local Chinese medicine and international traditional medicines."
 
     The CMH project adopts a public-private partnership model. The Government would support the CMH through injection of major resources both in terms of capital investment for construction of the hospital and recurrent funding for delivery of subsidised hospital services, training and research as well as the sustainable development of the CMH in meeting the Government's policy intent to promote the development of Chinese medicine. The service deed will cover arrangements for commissioning, a 10-year service period (extendable by five years at most), followed by a six-year post service period. 
 
     The Government intends to prequalify not more than four applicants as prequalified tenderers through the prequalification exercise. The prequalified tenderers would then be invited to join the tender exercise, which is tentatively scheduled to be issued in mid-2020, for the operation of the CMH in Tseung Kwan O. 
 
     On the original application closing date (i.e. noon on December 13, 2019), the applicant seeking to join the prequalification exercise:

     (i) must be either:
     (1) a company limited by guarantee under the Laws of Hong Kong; or
     (2) a statutory body corporate established under an Ordinance of the Laws of Hong Kong;

     (ii) must be a single entity not being a partnership or joint venture;

     (iii) must have at least 10 years of aggregate experience within the 20 years immediately prior to the original application closing date in providing Chinese medicine services in Hong Kong of which five years of experience were obtained in the five years immediately prior to the original application closing date; and

     (iv) must have at least 10 years of aggregate experience within the 20 years immediately prior to the original application closing date in managing any:
     (1) healthcare organisation(s), each of which consists of more than one healthcare unit; and/or
     (2) hospital(s),
     of which five years of experience were obtained in the five years immediately prior to the original application closing date.
 
     Applications will be considered in accordance with the selection criteria and the marking scheme as set out in the prequalification document.    
 
     The contractor who is eventually awarded with the service deed shall incorporate a company limited by guarantee (the Operator) to manage, operate and maintain the CMH. The Operator shall obtain a licence pursuant to the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (Cap. 633) for operation of the CMH.
 
     The prequalification document is available in a DVD which is obtainable during office hours from the Chinese Medicine Hospital Project office (CMHPO) of the FHB. Interested applicants should contact the CMHPO in advance for arrangements to obtain the DVD. The prequalification document is also available on the FHB's webpage (www.fhb.gov.hk/en/tender/index.html).
 
     A briefing session will be held on September 24. Details are set out in the prequalification document. Interested parties are required to complete the reply slip in the prequalification document and send it to the CMHPO of the FHB by noon on September 19 for enrolment.