ENG-2012 — Page 186

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Health

Patients attending the accident and emergency departments of public hospitals are classified under five categories according to their clinical condition: critical cases are classified under Category 1, emergency cases under Category 2, urgent cases under Category 3, semi-urgent. cases under Category 4, and non-urgent cases under Category 5. The triage system ensures that patients with more urgent needs receive prompt attention. In 2012, all Category 1 patients received immediate treatment while over 95 per cent of Category 2 patients were treated within 15 minutes.

Medical Charges and Waiver

Fees for public hospital and clinic services for the general public are subsidised up to 95.7 per cent by the Government, with people receiving assistance under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme exempted from paying. Other needy groups (including low-income patients, the chronically ill, and elderly patients with financial difficulties) are assisted through a medical fee waiver scheme.

Private Hospitals

Hong Kong's private hospitals served 399,687 inpatients in 2011, representing 21 per cent of the total number of inpatients in the territory. As at end 2012, there were 11 private hospitals in operation in Hong Kong. Spending on private inpatient services amounted to $11 billion in 2009-10, accounting for 32 per cent of overall expenditure on inpatient services in the public and private sectors.

Healthcare Service Development and Infrastructure

Public Hospital Development Projects

A number of public hospital development projects are in progress to help improve healthcare services in different parts of Hong Kong. North Lantau Hospital Phase 1 was completed in 2012; Tseung Kwan O Hospital Ambulatory Block also came into operation in 2012, with the remaining works of the Hospital Main Block to be completed in 2013. Other ongoing projects include the redevelopment of Caritas Medical Centre Phase 2 and the redevelopment of Yan Chai Hospital.

Public-private Partnership Projects in Healthcare Services

The Government has launched a series of public-private partnership (PPP) pilot projects through the HA, including the Cataract Surgeries Programme which subsidises patients for cataract surgery performed by private ophthalmologists. By the end of 2012, 106 ophthalmologists had participated in the programme, 18,268 patients had enrolled in the programme and 13,889 had received cataract surgery.

Under the HA's Tin Shui Wai Primary Care Partnership Project, chronic disease patients living in Tin Shui Wai who need long-term follow-up treatment at the HA's general outpatient clinics can choose to receive subsidised treatment from private doctors. As at the end of 2012, 11 private doctors and 1,618 patients had enrolled in the programme.

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