Press Releases
HMDAC sets out its work plan
The reconstituted Health and Medical Development Advisory Committee (HMDAC)
today (March 4) sets out its work plan in its first meeting.
The Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, said the meeting had
agreed on a work plan to deliberate on various health and medical issues with a
view to working out an interim report in December with strategies on the
development of service models and options on health care financing, together
with strategies on public consultation and cultivating community consensus.
In the second meeting to be held in May, the committee would explore the
proposed service model for the future to address the need of the children, the
adults as well as the elderly. It would examine the various levels of health
care services: primary health care, hospital care, tertiary and special care and
preventive care.
Two days of reach out sessions would be held in July to solicit stakeholders'
(including Health Services Panel of the Legislative Council, professional
groups, patient groups, district and community organisations) views on service
models and financing options.
In September and October, the committee would be concentrating on the financing
situation of the service models and also various financing options.
In November, the committee would also consult the panel of expertise, both local
and international, to see how they view the proposals that have been put
forward.
Dr Chow said members concurred that the health care sector was faced with
tremendous challenges in respect of the quality of service and capacity to deal
with an ageing population and escalating public aspiration.
"Members in general felt the sustainability of our health care system was an
imminent issue to address as a matter of urgency," he said.
The Vice-chairman, Mr Ronald Arculli, said the health care financing issue had
been debated over 10 years and it was time for action.
"Hopefully by the end of this year, we would be able to take a reasonable case
to the people of Hong Kong that they will see it is in their interest to adopt
particularly in regards to the different levels of service, types of services as
well as the financing options,"he said.
Four working groups would be set up under the HMDAC namely, Centre for Health
Protection and preventive medicine (chaired by the Director of Health);primary
health care (chaired by Dr Louis Shih); hospital care (chaired by Dr Loretta
Yam); and tertiary and special care (chaired by Professor Dennis Lam).
The meeting noted the subsidy level of Hong Kong's public health care system was
amongst the highest compared to other developed economies, at about 97 per cent
of the total cost for in-patient care in 2003 and 87 per cent for out-patient
services.
The Government has been investing heavily in the public hospital system with an
annual allocation of $28 billion, representing 13 per cent of the total
recurrent government expenditure. Health expenditures have grown significantly
as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) over the past decade, increasing from
4.3 per cent to 5.7 per cent from 1991/92 to 2001/02.
The HMDAC is tasked to review and develop the service model for health care in
both the public and private sector; and to propose long-term health care
financing options. It is chaired by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food
with 12 non-official members from various sectors of the community and the
Permanent Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food as ex-officio member.
Other heads of departments/agencies and their representatives (namely Chief
Executive of Hospital Authority; Director of Health; and Director of Social
Welfare) will be invited to attend the meeting where necessary.
Ends/Friday, March 4, 2005
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