The Hong Kong government has set aside HK$600 million to begin undertaking primary care reform in the city. The planning of the reforms will begin with public consultation in a few months, the health chief said.

Financial Secretary John Tsang announced in the Budget Speech on Wednesday that the government would enhance primary health care and implement health care reform. A working group on primary care was set up in late 2008, chaired by the Secretary for Food and Health, has put forward a number of proposals to strengthen services.

Speaking on a radio show yesterday, Secretary for Food and Health York Chow said the government would first target patients suffering from chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and hypertension. It is estimated that Hong Kong has one million diabetics and hypertensive individuals. Among people aged over 15, some 7 percent have diabetes and 27 percent have hypertension. About 73 percent of those aged over 75 suffer from hypertension, Department of Health figures show.

The working group also recommends setting up community health centers in all 18 districts. These polyclinics would place all health care professionals engaged in primary care under one roof. They include doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and dietitians. The centers would provide one-stop services for chronically ill patients.

Addressing the issue of inadequate services for cancer patients, Chow says that there are 20,000 new cancer patients and a growing trend in the cancer rate of 2 percent year-on-year. Chow acknowledged cancer treatment and diagnoses have become more complicated. Patients need to go to different departments and places for support care such as patient education, dietitian consultations and physiotherapy. The administration will introduce a case management program for cancer treatment in public hospitals for 1,100 patients to try to improve the situation.

It currently takes two years for Hong Kong cataract patients to receive cataract surgery. To address growing demand, the administration has subsidized 7,000 cataract patients HK$5,000 each to undergo surgeries at private hospitals or clinics. Cataract surgeries will be increased by about 40 percent with the current scheme being expanded to 8,500 cataract patients this year.

Chow said the government would strengthen co-operation with both public and private hospitals. A primary care directory listing doctors and dentists will be issued for public reference.

(HK Edition 03/02/2010 page1)