Stepping up the promotion of primary healthcare development and improving healthcare services for elderly people

Hon Alice MAK’s original motion: (Translation)

That, as the population ageing in Hong Kong society has become increasingly serious, a heavy burden is expected to be imposed on the local healthcare system; and since primary healthcare, as the healthcare system’s first contact point with patients and at the same time assumes the important functions of disease prevention, patients diversion, and promoting people’s health, the quality and quantity of its service will become more important; yet, in the past, the Government allocated very limited resources to primary healthcare, resulting in the slow development of primary healthcare in Hong Kong and making it difficult to cope with the major challenges to the local healthcare system brought about by population ageing; in this connection, this Council urges the Government to take measures to step up the promotion of primary healthcare development, and accord priority to upgrading the quality and quantity of primary healthcare services for elderly people, so as to properly prepare for the heavy healthcare burden brought about by population ageing; the relevant measures should include:

(1) to review and improve the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme (‘HCVS’), conduct a study on the lowering of eligible age for applying for HCVS, and streamline the administrative procedures, so as to encourage more healthcare service providers to participate in HCVS;

(2) by making reference to HCVS, to introduce ‘elderly dental care voucher’; and at the same time, to review and enhance the quality and quantity of the existing public dental services, achieve the establishment of public dental clinics in each of the 18 districts of Hong Kong in the long run, and implement a universal dental care service scheme;

(3) to examine and enhance the existing Chinese medicine healthcare services of the public sector, and set up additional Chinese medicine clinics in various districts, so as to meet the increasing demand for Chinese medicine services; and, in the long run, to study the setting up of a Chinese medicine hospital for training and attracting Chinese medicine talents, so as to promote the popularization and development of Chinese medicine healthcare in Hong Kong;

(4) to enhance the existing services of elderly health centres, at the same time proactively study the setting up of additional community health centres in various districts to upgrade the comprehensiveness of services, and enhance the services of chronic disease management and integrated mental health, etc., with a view to promoting the development of primary healthcare and alleviating the pressure on hospital services; and

(5) to study the introduction of carer subsidies to encourage family members to discharge the responsibility of caring for the health of elderly people, and increase the number of community nurses so as to enhance home care for elderly people and chronic patients.

Motion as amended by Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lau: (Translation)

That, as the population ageing in Hong Kong society has become increasingly serious, a heavy burden is expected to be imposed on the local healthcare system; and since primary healthcare, as the healthcare system’s first contact point with patients and at the same time assumes the important functions of disease prevention, patients diversion, and promoting people’s health, the quality and quantity of its service will become more important; yet, in the past, the Government allocated very limited resources to primary healthcare, resulting in the slow development of primary healthcare in Hong Kong and making it difficult to cope with the major challenges to the local healthcare system brought about by population ageing; in this connection, this Council urges the Government to take measures to step up the promotion of primary healthcare development, and accord priority to upgrading the quality and quantity of primary healthcare services for elderly people, so as to properly prepare for the heavy healthcare burden brought about by population ageing; the relevant measures should include:

(1) to restructure the out-patient services of the Hospital Authority and enhance the role of general out-patient, family medicine clinic and integrated specialist out-patient as the ‘gatekeeper’, so as to reduce the number of specialist out-patient attendances and shorten the waiting time;

(1)(2) to review and improve the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme (‘HCVS’), conduct a study on the lowering of eligible age for applying for HCVS, and streamline the administrative procedures, so as to encourage more healthcare service providers to participate in HCVS;

(2)(3) by making reference to HCVS, to introduce ‘elderly dental care voucher’; and at the same time, to review and enhance the quality and quantity of the existing public dental services, achieve the establishment of public dental clinics in each of the 18 districts of Hong Kong in the long run, and implement a universal dental care service scheme;

(3)(4) to examine and enhance the existing Chinese medicine healthcare services of the public sector, and set up additional Chinese medicine clinics in various districts, so as to meet the increasing demand for Chinese medicine services; and, in the long run, to study the setting up of a Chinese medicine hospital for training and attracting Chinese medicine talents, so as to promote the popularization and development of Chinese medicine healthcare in Hong Kong;

(4)(5) to enhance the existing services of elderly health centres, at the same time proactively study the setting up of additional community health centres in various districts to upgrade the comprehensiveness of services, and enhance the services of chronic disease management and integrated mental health, etc., with a view to promoting the development of primary healthcare and alleviating the pressure on hospital services; and

(5)(6) to study the introduction of carer subsidies to encourage family members to discharge the responsibility of caring for the health of elderly people, and increase the number of community nurses so as to enhance home care for elderly people and chronic patients.

Note: Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lau’s amendment is marked in bold and italic type or with deletion line.