Chief Executive Carrie Lam has outlined in her maiden Policy Address plans to strengthen primary healthcare services to address the needs of an ageing population.
Delivering her policy speech today, Mrs Lam said with an ageing population, the challenges faced by public hospitals will be huge.
Noting that prevention is better than cure and that home care and community care services will better meet the aspirations of the elderly, she said she will give the Secretary for Food & Health full support in drawing up a blueprint for the development and delivery of primary healthcare services. A district health centre with a new operation model will also be set up in Kwai Tsing on a pilot basis.
The Policy Address also unveiled plans to support uncommon diseases treatment, and enhance community health through cross-sector and multi-disciplinary collaboration.
To improve services of the Hospital Authority, a new arrangement to increase its recurrent funding progressively on a triennium basis will be introduced. This will also enable the authority to tackle its staffing issue and service demands arising from a growing and ageing population effectively.
