Press Releases
SFH on healthcare financing
Following is the transcript of remarks (English portion) made by the
Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, at a stand-up media session
after attending a public function today (October 15):
Reporter: (on healthcare financing)
Secretary for Food and Health: At the moment, our tendency is to introduce a
non-mandatory medical insurance scheme with saving element, so that we can
have more people subscribing to such a policy and have a better protection
after our regulation. So this is our intention at the moment. I will give
more details when the time comes.
Reporter: (on healthcare financing)
Secretary for Food and Health: It is not just the human swine flu issue,
because the human swine flu issue is now much more apparent to most
communities. It is not gone yet but it is more predictable as far as its
progress goes, so we cannot withhold this issue (healthcare financing) for
too long because, after all, we intended to have the consultation in 2008
and now is already 2009. The more we delay this issue, the more serious it
will be by the time comes because we are facing the ageing population as
well as the escalating cost of healthcare. So we must make preparation for
the future and particularly our next generation.
(Please also refer to the
Chinese portion of the transcript)
Ends/Thursday, October 15, 2009
Issued at HKT 15:35
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