On the 10th, the Hong Kong SAR government, together with the Guangdong provincial and Shenzhen municipal governments, conducted the first northbound transfer exercise for the "Greater Bay Area Cross border Direct Ambulance Pilot Scheme" (referred to as the "Pilot Scheme"), testing the driving route and immigration arrangements of ambulances crossing the border from Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Hong Kong to Shenzhen Hospital of the University of Hong Kong under simulated conditions of transporting patients. During the drill, the Shenzhen ambulance first departed from the Shenzhen Hospital of the University of Hong Kong, went through the Shenzhen Bay Port to the designated delivery hospital in Hong Kong, namely Queen Elizabeth Hospital, to pick up the patient, and then transferred the patient to the Shenzhen Hospital of the University of Hong Kong for treatment through the same port. The testing process was smooth. The Director of the Medical and Health Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Lu Chongmao, stated that the government departments of Guangdong and Hong Kong have successfully conducted the first northbound transfer exercise from Hong Kong to Shenzhen, laying the foundation for expanding the pilot program to two-way transfer arrangements. The Hong Kong SAR government will continue to maintain close communication and cooperation with relevant mainland departments, and hopes to officially implement cross-border direct ambulance transportation in both directions within the first quarter of this year, accelerate the high integration of medical care in the Greater Bay Area, and promote the high-quality development of the "Healthy Bay Area". It is reported that since the pilot program was launched on November 30, 2024, 23 patients have been transferred from designated delivery hospitals in Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Guangzhou, and Macau to designated public hospitals in Hong Kong for treatment. The plan will continue until November 29, 2026, and subsequent arrangements will be announced in due course. (New Society)