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The Health, Welfare
and Food Bureau is responsible for, among
other matters, the policy formulation
and resource allocation for health services
in Hong Kong. It also oversees the implementation
of policies to protect and promote public
health, provide comprehensive and lifelong
holistic care to every citizen and ensure
that no one is denied adequate medical
treatment due to lack of means.
The Department of Health
is the Government's health adviser and
the agency which executes healthcare policies
and statutory functions. It safeguards
the community's health through a range
of promotional, preventive, curative and
rehabilitative services.
The Hospital Authority
is a statutory body established in 1990
under the Hospital Authority Ordinance
to provide public hospital and related
services. It offers medical treatment
and rehabilitation services to patients
through hospitals, specialist clinics,
general outpatient clinics and outreach
services.
Hong Kong had in total
34 128 hospital beds in 2005, representing
4.9 beds per 1 000 population: 27 765
beds in hospitals run by the Hospital
Authority, 3 047 in private hospitals,
2 587 in nursing homes and 729 in
the Correctional Services Department.
The Health and Medical
Development Advisory Committee was reconstituted
on March 1, 2005 to review and develop
the future delivery model for healthcare
services and propose long-term healthcare
financing options with a view to ensuring
the sustainability of Hong Kong's healthcare
system. The committee, chaired by the
Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food,
has 12 members from various sectors of
the community. On July 19, it issued a
discussion paper, 'Building a Healthy
Tomorrow', for a three-month public consultation.
There was widespread support for the paper's
proposals which, in sum, were: (a) making
better use of primary care services and
promoting the family doctor concept so
that primary care services could function
effectively as a gatekeeper for specialist
and hospital services; (b) more collaboration
and cooperation between the public and
private sectors to redress the imbalance
between the public and private sectors'
market share; (c) caring for the elderly,
patients with chronic diseases and patients
in the rehabilitation stage in the community
as far as possible; and (d) making use
of information technology to establish
a territory-wide medical record system.
The committee's next step is to make recommendations
on healthcare financing in 2006. |