FS Announces HK$300bn Plan To Improve Hospitals

The Financial Secretary, Paul Chan, on Wednesday earmarked HK$300 billion in his budget to re-develop public hospitals and build more primary care clinics.

There will also be additional recurrent funding for the Hospital Authority of almost HK$6 billion to increase the number of hospital beds, operating theatre sessions, and out-patient appointments.

The HK$300 billion is for a new 10-year plan Chan has asked the Hospital Authority to come up with, to include a new, larger hospital to replace Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the redevelopment of Princess Margaret Hospital and Tuen Mun Hospital, and the expansion of North Lantau Hospital.

This money comes on top of the HK$200 billion allocated to an earlier 10-year-plan and is also to be spent on improving government clinics, upgrading healthcare teaching facilities, and further increasing the number of publicly-funded training places for health professionals.

It was thought that the finance chief would also announce details of a long-awaited Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme. But on this, Chan said only that people who purchase the insurance should be given tax deductions of up to HK$8,000.

He also said that the government will expand a programme to screen people for colorectal cancer to cover those aged 50 and above. He said the screening will cost HK$940 million over the coming five years.

Elderly people will be given an additional HK$1,000 worth of healthcare vouchers to help pay for visits to private doctors and other medical professionals. They will also now be allowed to accumulate up to HK$5,000 worth of these vouchers, up from HK$4,000. Chan said the scheme will cost the government HK$796 million.

The secretary also proposed a HK$500 million fund to promote the development of Chinese medicine and he set aside the same amount to subsidise drugs for people with rare diseases.