Health Care In Hong Kong

In Hong Kong the responsibility for building and operating hospitals used to be shared by the Government of Hong Kong and a number of charities, including religious orders, some with traditions dating back to the earliest times. Unfortunately this dual system of government and subvented hospitals was not integrated, leading to problems of coordination and management and resulting in gaps and duplication in services, inefficient and ineffective use of resources, as well as low staff morale. The problems persisted against a background of significant population growth, rising community expectations, and technological advancement. Fundamental and radical solutions were needed. Overseas experts were invited by the Hong Kong Government to study the situation in the mid-1980s. Finally the Government adopted their proposal and set up an autonomous body, the Hospital Authority, to tackle this crucial problem. The development of this local health care system since the 1980s, the setting up of the Hospital Authority and its work in the past few years form the subject of this book.

The book covers the period from British colonisation of Hong Kong in 1841 through to the present day. It looks at the way in which the health sector developed, the structural arrangements that resulted, and the manner in which the health system functions today.

Different global healthcare challenges bring threats to the healthcare system. Like other developed countries, Hong Kong is also focusing on how to manage the ageing population, how to meet the rising public expectations, and how to finance the ever increasing medical costs. Strengthening community care services may provide a way out for settling these concerns. Written by a team of renowned scholars and leading practitioners, this book aims at evaluating how different parties can assist in building up local community capacity to achieve sustainable health and wellness. The book is divided into three sections. The first section discusses the different roles and practices of specialised community care that contribute to the relative success of the healthcare system in Hong Kong. The second section makes use of various research practices to extrapolate future healthcare needs and practices in Hong Kong. And the last one addresses the values of health care which underlie the healthcare culture, structure and practice in Hong Kong over time. Apart from pointing out the limitation of the current system, this book will also discusses the future directions of the healthcare system in order to cope with the challenges in a changing society. Published by City University of Hong Kong Press 香港城市大學出版社出版

This book provides a significant contribution to the discussions about the future of the system.The evidence-driven content draws from the deep expertise and experience of a wide spectrum of contributors, who represent virtually all relevant areas of the health system.

This book focuses on a seldom discussed topic despite its immeasurable impact on the health of the citizens and public health in Hong Kong—the development of outpatient medical services and their contributions. In the early 20th century, Chinese elite organized and operated a number of Chinese Public Dispensaries in Hong Kong and Kowloon, initially to reduce the prevalence of “dump bodies” on the streets during epidemics of smallpox or plague, and to determine the cause of death of these bodies. Later other services including domiciliary deliveries by trained midwives were added. The government founded similar clinics in the New Territories. After WWII, the government took over all the Chinese Public Dispensaries and operated them as general outpatient clinics. Over the years, more general clinics and special clinics were developed. These clinics helped improve the health indices of the population to those of the Western countries by the 1970s. Endorsement Modern-day medicine increasingly emphasises patient management on an outpatient basis. We are indebted to Professor Moira M. W. Chan-Yeung for her tireless efforts in researching the history of medical outpatient services in Hong Kong. Through this book, readers will gain insights into how outpatient medicine in the past has shaped the city’s modern day healthcare system, and have a glimpse into its future development. —Professor Lau Chak-sing, Head of Department of Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong An exemplary piece of scholarship that interprets the past and illuminates our future paths. Seldom has history, so dear and near, been told with such prides and hopes, for maestros and ordinary folks. —Professor Gilberto K. K. Leung, Clinical Professor and Associate Dean (Teaching & Learning), LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong

First published in 1999, this book constitutes a unique account of the development and reform of health care in Hong Kong. Its main focus is on policy developments since 1945. Victor Wong demonstrates the development of a two-tier health system in both a capitalist and Chinese context. His work is one of both health policy and political economy. Wong utilises the latter perspective to show the state’s role in the interests of capital, the public demand for health care and the power of the medical profession. Alongside this, Wong brings in the role of Chinese and family medicine and the role of the family in cost containment and minimising the hospitalisation of elderly, frail and chronically ill patients. The volume is the most comprehensive analysis available for health policy in Hong Kong.