Provision of Evening Out-patient Services (2012/11/07) 

MR YIU SI-WING: President, in view of the fact that the Tin Shui Wai hospital can only be commissioned in 2016 and it is only by then that A&E service can be provided, may I ask, during this four-year interim, if consideration can be given to collaborating with private clinics and charging patients seeking consultation according to government standard fees in order to solve the problem of A&E service in Tin Shui Wai?

SECRETARY FOR FOOD AND HEALTH: President, about our services in Tin Sui Wai, I have mentioned in the main replay that a pilot scheme is now underway, whereby the HA subsidizes the fees paid by some patients when they go to consult a private doctor. I have also said earlier that we have two schemes in place to enhance the primary care services in Tin Shui Wai, so I will not repeat them now.

Also, the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme is another idea. Some people have asked us about this Scheme and they want to know why the elderly persons are not allowed to seek medical consultation in public hospitals. Our aim is precisely to give an incentive to more people to make use of these vouchers and consult a private doctor, especially regarding some primary and preventive services or care services. At present, the Elderly Health Care Vouchers only have a total value of $500, but we plan to increase the value of the vouchers to $1,000 in next January. We hope that this Scheme can be further enhanced so that the elderly persons can consult a private doctor when necessary, thereby reducing the pressure on public hospitals.