Dr. Bruce Vaughan, chairman of the Chiropractors' Council of Hong Kong, reports that the final hurdle to the registration of chiropractors here fell when the Hong Kong Legislative Council passed the necessary supplementary legislation. The Chiropractors' Council of Hong Kong, founded in 1993, has worked with the government to draft the rules, codes of practice, registration qualifications and fee schedules required for chiropractic registration.
On June 8, the Chiropractors' Rules (Registration and Disciplinary Procedure) made by the Chiropractors' Council under the Chiropractors' Registration Ordinance, were published in the Gazette. The Gazette is a publication of the Hong Kong special administrative region of the People's Republic of China. The Chiropractic Rules detail registration and disciplinary procedures applicable to chiropractors in Hong Kong.
E.K.Yeoh, secretary for health and welfare in Hong Kong, made the formal declaration in the Gazette: "Under section 1 of the Chiropractors Registration (Fees) Regulation, I appoint 1 September 2001 as the day on which the Regulation shall come into operation."
"After 30 years of agitation, confrontation, harassment, and a full barrage of medical dirty tricks and arrests, the Hong Kong government has finally recognized chiropractic as a primary health care profession," observed Dr. Vaughan. "A special salute and 'thank you' goes to those people who, in spite of the trauma of arrest and albeit failed prosecution, stood firm and refused to sacrifice the primary health care status or the title doctor of chiropractic."
Editor's note: The Hong Kong Chiropractic Association (HKCA) was formed in 1967, and is a member of the World Federation of Chiropractic. The HKCA lists 44 members on its website (www.hkca.org).
