Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau (center), together with Permanent Secretary for Health Thomas Chan (third left), Under Secretary for Health Libby Lee (second left), and Commissioner for Primary Healthcare Pang Fei-chau (first left) unveil the Primary Healthcare Blueprint at a press conference on Dec 19, 2022. (PHOTO / INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT, HKSAR).
Hong Kong residents will be able to enjoy a more comprehensive and people-centric primary healthcare service, with every resident having a designated family doctor, a government subsidy when using private medical services for chronic illnesses, as well as higher-value healthcare vouchers for the elderly, according to the Primary Healthcare Blueprint issued by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government on Monday.
At a press conference on Monday afternoon, Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said the number of people with chronic diseases in Hong Kong is expected to increase from 2.2 million to 3 million in 10 years, accounting for 37 percent of the city’s population.
The blueprint will benefit all 7.4 million residents in Hong Kong, not just the grassroots, Under Secretary for Health Lee Ha-yun said at the same meeting
The government launched the blueprint to reform Hong Kong’s healthcare system — from treatment to prevention — with a view to reducing the pressure the public health care system may experience in the future, Lo said.
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The blueprint will benefit all 7.4 million residents in Hong Kong, not just the grassroots, Under Secretary for Health Lee Ha-yun said at the same meeting.
Based on the blueprint, with District Health Centres (DHCs) as the hub, each resident will have a designated family doctor, a separate medical account, and a health record.
All family doctors and other primary healthcare services providers will be enrolled on a government list, to better manage their work and ensure the quality of their services.
“Therefore, mild illnesses of residents can be treated at home or (in the) community without (the need to) visit the hospital,” Lee said.
In addition, a three-year Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme will be launched as early as the second quarter of next year, according to the press conference.
Under the scheme, residents who are found to be at high risk of developing hypertension or diabetes mellitus will be referred by the DHCs to a private medical institution for further examination. The government will subsidize about half of the examination and treatment fees.
Also, the government will ramp up efforts to encourage the elderly to use their healthcare vouchers for disease prevention and management.
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If an elderly person uses their voucher to spend at least HK$1,000 ($128) on designated primary healthcare services, such as disease prevention and health management, they will automatically receive an additional HK$500 in their voucher account. The additional amount must also be used for primary care services.
In addition, the government will require all primary healthcare services providers to use the Electronic Health Record Sharing System (eHealth), a platform for citywide medical organizations to access and share patients’ medical records. Therefore, patients’ records will be more easily accessible to healthcare workers and public hospitals.
Also, the blueprint will review the number of primary care staff and increase manpower supply, as well as enhance the roles of Chinese medicine practitioners and pharmacists in primary healthcare services.
Kathy Cheung Yuk-hung, president of the Hong Kong Association of Family Medicine and Primary Health Care Nurses, expressed her support for the blueprint, saying that its launch and implementation will establish an effective and sustainable primary care system in the community.
Cheung suggested the government strengthen the training of primary healthcare nurses and professionals, to help them gain a clear understanding of the sector’s future prospects and boost their motivation to serve the community with their primary care expertise.