Press Releases
Government invites expressions of interest in development of private hospitals
The Food and Health Bureau today (December 14) invited expressions of
interest (EOI) from local and overseas parties in developing private
hospitals at sites in Wong Chuk Hang, Tseung Kwan O, Tai Po and Lantau. The
deadline for submitting EOI is March 31 next year.
At a press conference today, the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow
said: "Promoting private hospital development is one of the initiatives
under the healthcare reform and a major government policy announced by the
Chief Executive in his 2009-10 Policy Address.
"The Government aims to increase the overall capacity of the healthcare
system of Hong Kong through the promotion of private hospital development,
so as to address the imbalance between the public and private sectors in
hospital services and to ensure our healthcare system can continue to
provide quality healthcare services to the public, and to cope with the
increasing service demand.
"Besides, Hong Kong is renowned for its high standard of professional
healthcare as well as advancement in medical technology and equipment, and
we have the advantages and potential in further developing our medical
services.
"Through developing private hospitals, it is hoped that our medical industry
can turn into one of the industries crucial to the development of Hong
Kong's economy," Dr Chow added.
To achieve the goal, the bureau has proposed a set of special requirements
for development of the four sites that have been identified and reserved for
private hospital development. The special requirements cover aspects of
restriction on land use, date of commencement of operation of the new
hospital, bed capacity, service scope, price transparency, service standard
and remedy for non-compliance.
"We will work out the appropriate land disposal arrangements for the four
reserved hospital sites, including the means and timing for land disposal,
the detailed special requirements and the land premium for the four sites,
after considering all the responses and feedback received in the EOI
exercise," Dr Chow said.
The EOI exercise is conducted on a non-committal basis and does not form
part of the process for acquiring the sites by interested parties.
Details of the EOI requirements and relevant information are available at
the website of the bureau (www.fhb.gov.hk/eoi).
Interested parties should submit the EOI in English in accordance with the
instructions given in the EOI document before 5pm on March 31, 2010, Hong
Kong time (GMT +8 hours).
For enquiries, please email
EOIenquiry@fhb.gov.hk.
Ends/Monday, December 14, 2009
Issued at HKT 17:07
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