Press Releases

SHWF on health care financing

Following is a transcript of the remarks (English portion) made by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, at a stand-up media session after attending the Hospital Authority Convention 2006 this morning (May 8):

Reporter: (inaudible)

Dr Chow: The main message I have given today is the principle of any fee adjustment and not the level of fee adjustment. Basically, we feel that the current fee level will encourage some behaviour such as abuse of services. So, we need to raise the fees. We want to make sure that this will encourage people to, first of all, have a healthy lifestyle. They look after their own health and secondly they can choose the most appropriate care by family doctors when they have milder ailments or for a continuity of care. They only go to the emergency departments when they have a real emergency situation and so on. We also like to discourage people from long-term stay in hospitals simply because it is cheaper than staying at home.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript)



Ends/Monday, May 8, 2006
Issued at HKT 14:14

NNNN