How can mainland China’s health care be improved? Hong Kong’s former finance minister thinks he has the answer

Former finance chief Antony Leung is using his involvement in mainland health care facilities to push for better care for the elderly and rehabilitation

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Antony Leung tries out a rehabilitation device at the Care Alliance Rehabilitation Hospital in Chengdu. Photo: Elizabeth Cheung

Published: 12:03am, 14 Aug 2017Updated: 4:11pm, 14 Aug 2017

Former Hong Kong finance minister Antony Leung Kam-chung has launched an ambitious project to recruit the city’s talent to train health care professionals on the mainland, which is experiencing a serious shortage of high-quality carers.

Leung is trying to reverse the trend through his leadership of New Frontier, an investment group that owns Care Alliance, which operates a number of mainland health care facilities, including for the elderly and rehabilitation.

Running clinics in Shenzhen difficult for Hong Kong doctors

“There is great demand for rehabilitation on the mainland, which is still looking at standards and the operation of services. But in Hong Kong the level of our services is relatively mature,” Leung said, adding that Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen faced a shortage of one million carers.

“How could we help to set and raise standards of rehabilitation on the mainland? I think Hong Kong could certainly help in the future,” Leung said.

Former finance chief Antony Leung outlines his plans in the medical field. Photo: Elizabeth Cheung

New Frontier said it would pump 1 billion yuan (HK$1.17 billion) into healthcare projects in southwestern parts of the mainland. This comes after it earlier this year pledged to inject at least 1 billion yuan into a Shenzhen-based medical group so it can take part in the Greater Bay Area plan, an integration scheme involving Hong Kong, Macau and nine Pearl River Delta cities.

Leung met Hong Kong journalists in Chengdu last week to introduce the Care Alliance Rehabilitation Hospital, a new facility in which New Frontier has invested more than 100 million yuan. The hospital is set to open late next month.