Kuang Yukun (left), associate chief physician from the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University works with Yeung Yiu-cheong, deputy chief of service of medicine and geriatrics at Princess Margaret Hospital in south China's Hong Kong, Oct 12, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Medical integration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is gaining momentum as regulators accelerate their drive to facilitate cross-border production and use of drugs and medical devices.

A total of 19 medical institutions, 27 medicines and 21 types of medical devices have so far been approved by the Guangdong authorities under the Hong Kong and Macao Medicine and Equipment Connect, benefiting 4,050 people.

Eight Chinese medical patents for external use from Hong Kong and two from Macao have been given the green light by mainland authorities for use across the border

The connect, which was launched in August 2021, allows designated mainland hospitals to use Hong Kong-approved or Macao-approved drugs and medical devices without prior certification from the National Medical Products Administration.

READ MORE: Medical cooperation advances in Greater Bay Area

The Greater Bay Area is strategically positioned in the nation’s new development paradigm, Wang Ling, deputy head of Guangdong province’s drug and medical devices regulator, said on Thursday.

She told a press conference that her department is actively promoting innovative development of drugs and medical devices regulation, including streamlining the registration process, facilitating cross-border drug production, and fostering traditional Chinese medicine in mainland medical institutions to be used in Macao Special Administrative Region.

So far, eight Chinese medical patents for external use from Hong Kong and two from Macao have been given the green light by mainland authorities for use across the border.

READ MORE: Integration key to HK's competitiveness

Two Hong Kong drugs have successfully been produced in mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area.

Contact the writer at sally@chinadailyhk.com