When I went to Beijing for the first time 10 years ago to attend the First Beijing Hong Kong Medical Exchange, I brought along my kids too. I was not used to the sanitary condition of the city, so did my kids so much so that they are afraid to visit Mainland China again, especially so for my eldest daughter.
On the return of sovereignty of Hong Kong to China in 1997, I wish to learn more about our Motherland. The frequency of my visits to the Mainland increased since then. Excluding Shenzhen, I have been traveling 6 to 8 times each year to Mainland China. As a consequence, I have witnessed the advance and modernizations of major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Sichuan etc. I am impressed by the Central Government initiatives and determination to improve the health and wealth of the Chinese citizens. They are improving at a pace that one cannot imagine. The Central Government has won back certain degree of confidence from citizens in Mainland China and Hong Kong by her economic and scientific achievements especially so with the successful launch of her first lunar orbiter today, the initial step in a 10-year plan to send a rover to the moon and back and, ultimately, land astronauts on the moon.
I was amazed again this time when I went with nearly 40 members and spouses for a trip to Huang Shan from 15th October 2007 to 20th October 2007 as reported on Page xx to Page xx of this Bulletin. I was impressed not only by the excellent quality of food and environment in the five star hotels that we stayed in Huang Shan and Hangzhou, but also by the much improved and excellent sanitary condition of the restrooms and buildings nearby the rest stations along the newly constructed highway. To my surprise, the standard of which is much superior to those in the United Kingdom and even in the United States. With that, I wish I could convince my eldest daughter to visit for fun and joy apart from her business trips to China again.
When one look back in Hong Kong, we are celebrating our 10 years return to China this year. We have achieved much in developing Hong Kong as an International Financial Hub with booms in the shares and stocks markets since SARS in 2003. Apart from Medical Practitioners, we have seen ample opportunities in Mainland China for the business sectors and professionals like Accountants, Lawyers, Architects, Engineers, etc. Even with CEPA 5, we cannot envisage a green light for us, Medical Practitioners. When I attended the 10th Anniversary Annual Dinner hosted by the Institute for Health Policy & Systems Research in Hong Kong Club on 5th October 2007, Mr. Liao Xinbo, Deputy Director General, Health Department of Guangdong Province, opined that the health care professionals in Hong Kong should aim at investing in Private Hospitals, with standard in par with Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, in Mainland China. It is extremely difficult to start a Private outpatient service in China, according to Mr. Liao. (Please read report on Page x of this Bulletin) Similar views were received by our Vice-President, Dr. Tang Yiu Tin, who represented the Union to pay an official visit to the Health Ministry of Shanghai from 17th October 2007 to 20th October 2007 at the invitation of the Liaison Office of the Central People¡¦s Government in HKSAR. According to Mr. Ma Qiang, the Deputy Director General of Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau, the hospitals in the Mainland are far less subsidized than those in Hong Kong. He said that his Government would like to take reference to Hong Kong hospital management for future reform. I am sure that Dr. Tang has presented our worries on socialized medicine to Mr. Ma if there is such an intention by the Central Government. (Please refer to Page x of this Bulletin for details)
Coming to the Policy address by Mr. Tsang on 10th October 2007, there is one paragraph (80) on Health Care Vouchers for the Elderly and three paragraphs (96 ¡V 98) on Health Care Reform that warrants our utmost attention. Among the sentences, one said ¡§¡KI have decided to increase the Government¡¦s recurrent expenditure on medical and health services from the present 15% to 17% in 2011-2012¡K¡¨as promised by Mr. Tsang during his campaign meeting with Election Committee Members of the Medical Sub-sector last year.
¡§¡K the Government will launch a trial scheme under which all citizens aged 70 or above will be given annually five health care vouchers worth $50 each to subsidise primary medical care services they purchase from the private sector. The vouchers can be used for services provided by western and Chinese medicine practitioners, allied health professionals and dental practitioners, as well as for preventive services such as medical examination or vaccination, and therapeutic services. Apart from giving something back to our senior citizens, this initiative enables them to choose more freely various primary medical care services in the local community and therefore reduces the waiting time. It also seeks to encourage the elderly to make good use of primary medical care services and establish a ¡§continuum of care¡¨ relationship with family doctors, to better safeguard their health¡K¡¨ explained by Dr. York Chow, Secretary for Health and Food, on the details of Health Care Vouchers for the Elderly in a meeting with representatives of some 10 Health Care Professional bodies one and half hour after the said Policy Address on 10th October 2007. It is expected the scheme will start in summer next year, according to Dr. Chow. In the mean time, meetings with various medical bodies and stakeholders will be held to address matters like billing, register for service and measures to prevent abuse etc before the official launch. Members will be informed of the outcome accordingly.
Concerning the issue of ¡§¡KConduct a pilot project to purchase primary care services from the private sector in Tin Shui Wai North for certain patient groups to enhance the existing provision of public general out-patient services and explore the feasibility of Public-Private-Partnership..¡¨ as printed on Page 52 of the corresponding Policy Agenda, Dr. Chow just kept his mouth shut during the meeting. Even before the meeting in the Bureau, actually an official from the Health and Food Bureau phoned the Union and me requesting me to keep my mouth shut on the matter for fear of failure if there are too many public discussions. This happened one hour immediately after the broadcast of my interview on the matter in Commercial Radio Hong Kong on 3 October 2007. All I can say now is there is heated discussion among board members of the Hospital Authority on the matter and they have not arrived at a concrete plan yet.
The said Health Care Reform in Hong Kong has been hanging for over 10 years in contrast to marked changes and improvements in our Mainland China in the past 10 years. Let us pray that our Mr. Tsang can play magic this time after our 10 years return to China. And I wish him good luck!
Dr. Yeung Chiu Fat Henry
24th October 2007