Policy Address

Ambulatory Services

224.         An ageing population will lead to increased prevalence of chronic diseases.  The HA will progressively strengthen ambulatory services, including making plans to construct ambulatory care centres and large day hospitals, which will provide more facilities such as those for day surgery, rehabilitation, endoscopy, diagnostic radiology and laboratory services.  Patients who receive diagnosis and treatment in hospitals in the daytime and return home to recuperate can stay connected with their family and the community.  This is beneficial to their recovery and hospital beds to be used for serving patients in need. 

Primary Care

225.         We should begin with preventive care and encourage our people to pay attention to personal health.  We should make good use of community resources to improve healthcare services.  The Department of Health has devised reference frameworks for healthcare personnel and patients on diabetes, hypertension and preventive care for children and elderly people.  It has also established the Primary Care Directory, an electronic database to facilitate the public in their search for healthcare services.  The Government has proposed allocating $10 billion to the HA to set up an endowment fund to generate investment returns for regularising and enhancing pilot clinical public-private partnership (PPP) programmes, as well as develop new clinical PPP initiatives.  The Health and Medical Development Advisory Committee will focus on ways to further promote primary care to ensure the long-term sustainability of the public healthcare system.

226.         The Government will invite the CCF to consider a pilot scheme for providing teenage girls from eligible low-income families with a free cervical cancer vaccination.

Contents | Next