Hong Kong health chief considering increased charges for minor problems at hospital A&E departments to cut abuse of health service
- Health minister Lo Chung-mau says he wants to move to an ‘increase and reduction’ model, with lower charges for those seriously ill or injured
- He promises there will be no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution as he tries to ease pressure on health services and boost efficiency
People who abuse Hong Kong accident and emergency (A&E) services in public hospitals could face fees similar to the cost of consultation with a family doctor, the health minister has said.
But Lo Chung-mau, the health secretary, told the Post on Tuesday that patients in genuine urgent need of treatment might be charged at a cheaper rate.
Lo said the government was considering a change to charges that would involve “increase and reduction” for public health services in a bid to protect them from abuse.
“We will not adopt a one-size-fits-all approach and raise the fees at a same percentage for everyone,” he said.
“We will be more targeting … some services might have a more serious abuse situation or have a bigger difference between [charges] and costs. We will focus more on handling these.”
Lo said he was told by frontline healthcare staff that some patients visited A&E departments with minor complaints such as acne or itchy legs – conditions that did not need treatment in emergency settings.