Hong Kong finance chief says human-machine collaboration key to future surgery
Hong Kong's finance secretary says surgical robots still face cost and design barriers. He argues human-machine collaboration, not full automation, will drive future medical advances. He also announced a new drug and medical device regulator will launch next month.
Hong Kong’s Secretary for Financial Services Paul Chan Mo-po said on 9 November that while surgical robots have developed over more than two decades to perform complex operations accurately, their widespread adoption is hindered by design and cost issues. He made the remarks at the Future Surgery Forum.
Chan noted that most current systems are designed for well-resourced hospitals, and their price, space requirements and training thresholds limit broader use. Despite the advantages of surgical robots, he said they cannot yet integrate insights from different medical fields or fully consider patients’ feelings and concerns when making decisions.
He argued that “human-machine collaboration” will be the key model for future medical development. Chan also said Hong Kong is working to become an international hub for medical device innovation, including using artificial intelligence to support primary healthcare.
The government is strengthening the medical regulatory system, Chan added, and will establish the “Hong Kong Drug and Medical Device Administration Centre” next month.