CHINA OFFERS great opportunities for Irish companies in the healthcare sector, and Ireland is a country Chinese firms are exploring for investment, Minister for Health James Reilly said yesterday in Beijing at the start of an official visit.
“This is a huge opportunity for co-operation on areas of health in relation to medical education, collaboration on research,” Dr Reilly said in an interview at an Irish Embassy reception hosted by Ambassador Declan Kelleher.
“One of the areas we are discussing is primary care in the community and that would suit the Chinese situation very well,” he said.
The Chinese government was interested not only in research on pharmaceuticals and medical devices, but also in exploring what advantage Ireland might represent as a template for organisation and delivery of healthcare.
He said a large Chinese pharma company was looking at research and development options in Ireland, but talks were at a preliminary stage.
On the first day of his week-long visit, Dr Reilly went to a number of hospitals in Beijing and witnessed the signings of memorandums of understanding involving NUI Galway-based Network of Excellence for Functional Biomaterials and two Chinese bodies.
The agreement is to develop biomaterials to deliver agents in a focused way that can kill cancer cells without poisoning the rest of the body. This has been a huge issue in chemotherapy over many years.
“This sort of technology will result in more focused kind of medicine being used,” he said.
On Thursday, Dr Reilly and minister Chen Zhu will sign a renewed memorandum of understanding between Ireland and China on health co-operation. Dr Reilly hopes to forge links for Irish medical educational establishments with the Chinese.
Among the delegation travelling with him are representatives of the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, the Royal College of Physicians Ireland, An Bord Altranais and the Irish College of General Practitioners.
Also taking part are the Irish Medicines Board, the Iheed Institute and the Irish Medical and Surgical Trade Association.
On Friday Dr Reilly will be a keynote speaker at the China Health Forum in Beijing, which this year focuses on healthcare reform.
On healthcare reform in Ireland, Dr Reilly reiterated his determination to introduce more transparency and accountability into the Irish healthcare system, and issues such as overtime, sick pay, absenteeism, and waiting times with respect to individual consultants.
