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162 Health

GDP. Hong Kong's ageing population, rising expectations of health care, and soaring medical costs pose a challenge to the Government in the long run and is a matter of concern to the community.

Organisational Framework

The Food and Health Bureau is responsible for, among other things, formulating policies and allocating resources for the running of Hong Kong's health services. It also oversees the implementation of these policies to protect and promote public health, provide lifelong holistic health care to every citizen of Hong Kong, 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 agency to execute healthcare policies and statutory functions. It safeguards the community's health through a range of promotional, preventive, curative and rehabilitative services.

The Hospital Authority (HA) 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 outreaching services that are organised into seven clusters which, together serve the whole of Hong Kong.

The Health and Medical Development Advisory Committee, chaired by the Secretary for Food and Health, has 12 members drawn from different sectors of the community. Its role is to review regularly the way healthcare services are provided in Hong Kong and to draw up a long-term plan to ensure the sustainable development of Hong Kong's healthcare system. In July 2005, the committee issued a discussion paper on the desired future healthcare service delivery model, which contained proposals that won wide public support. Its key recommendations include:

(a) putting more emphasis on primary healthcare services and to promote the

family doctor concept;

(b) more collaboration and cooperation between the public and private sectors

with the former focusing more on its priority areas;

(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 electronic

patient record system.

The recommendations are being implemented gradually. Issues relating to healthcare reform and financing arrangements are being studied for presentation to the public for consultation in 2008.

Primary Healthcare Services

Primary healthcare is the first point of contact where individuals and their families are subject to a continuing healthcare process, which aims at avoiding hospitalisation and improving their health condition in general.

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