Press Releases
SHWF addresses Australian community on health care reform in HK (With photo)
Like Australia and most developed countries in the world, Hong Kong is facing
the problem of an ageing population that will be a significant drain on its
medical system, rendering it inadequate in answering to the needs of the
community.
The Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, told an audience of
the Australian health care and insurance sectors at a luncheon held today
(September 16) in Sydney.
Dr Chow is currently on a fact-finding trip to learn about the health care
financing arrangements of other developed economies to come with a proposal that
would best suit Hong Kong.
"To address the problem, Hong Kong is embarking on a public consultation
exercise in an attempt to map out some reform proposals on its future health
care system," Dr Chow said.
He said that Hong Kong's public hospitals were looking after 95% of its
inpatients, while 85% of the general outpatients were attended to by private
practitioners.
He added that the Hong Kong Government was spending roughly A$5 billion (HK$30.2
billion) each year on its health care system, which accounted for 14% of the
recurrent public expenditure.
"Unlike Australia, Hong Kong has a very shallow tax base which sees only 1.2
million of its 7 million population contributing to the Government's tax
revenue.
"Among the 1.2 million taxpayers, 300,000 people are contributing 80% of the
income tax.
"With such a low tax regime, it is unavoidable that some forms of additional
income have to be considered to meet with the ever-increasing cost in the health
care system.
"However, in considering the financing options, we will make sure that there
will be a safety net to prevent anyone in the community from falling out of our
medical system," Dr Chow said.
Turning to the subject of avian influenza, Dr Chow cautioned the gathering that
it was probable that there could be an outbreak of avian influenza in the
region.
Dr Chow likened an outbreak to an international terrorist attack which, he said,
would be better fought at the source of the outbreak rather than tackled after
it crossed the border into one's territory.
He said Hong Kong had put in place a preparedness plan for an influenza pandemic
with particular reference to avian influenza.
"As an integral part of the plan, we are also increasing the stockpile of
antivirals for dealing with a possible influenza pandemic from 3.7 million
capsules to more than 20 million in phases".
Dr Chow added that as part of the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong would be
pleased to contribute to the regional efforts in fighting the disease by sending
experts to affected places to help in the areas of investigation and offering
appropriate assistance in medical advice and control of the disease. This
proposal of sending a multi-national task force was raised with Australia's
Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon Tony Abbot, MP, during his visit to
Canberra.
Ends/Friday, September 16, 2005
Issued at HKT 18:37
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(Photo)