Hong Kong rolls out district-based clinics as overcrowding intensifies

The first clinic will be located in Kwai Tsing.

Hong Kong’s Food and Health Bureau will set up district-based primary healthcare services in a bid to ease the overcrowding in public hospitals.

In her 2018 policy address, chief executive Carrie Lam noted that the government will launch district health centres to provide services in health promotion, health assessment, chronic disease management and community rehabilitation.

The first district health centre will be set up in Kwai Tsing. The model will soon be extended to other districts.

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The health centres will be located within government properties in various districts in order to ensure service stability. Suitable locations in Kwun Tong and Eastern District have already been identified, Lam said.

To enable early service delivery, the government will first rent suitable premises for the centres in various districts.

Hong Kong’s public hospitals often operate beyond capacity particularly during winter, and patients struggle with long lines and waiting times as the public healthcare system services 90% of local residents despite only employing 40% of available doctors, data from BMI Research show.