Measures for healthcare services set

March 2, 2019

Financial Secretary Paul Chan:
As to your question about concrete measures to help the services in public hospitals, you would realise that we utilised a total sum of $16.1 billion. The $10 billion is a stabilisation fund which can be deployed whenever the Hospital Authority finds it necessary. The rest, about $700 million, is to improve the allowances for medical doctors, nurses and also the remuneration of supporting staff at the Hospital Authority. 

Also we have utilised a few hundred million dollars to expand the drugs to be subsidised by the Government. So all in all, these are short-term and medium-term measures to help improve the services of the medical sector.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan said the 2019-20 Budget will provide short and medium-term measures to improve Hong Kong’s healthcare services.

Speaking to the media after attending a radio show today, Mr Chan said the Government will utilise a total sum of $16.1 billion to improve public hospital services.

He said: “The $10 billion is a stabilisation fund which can be deployed whenever the Hospital Authority finds it necessary.

“The rest, about $700 million, is to improve the allowances for medical doctors, nurses and also the remuneration of supporting staff at the Hospital Authority.”

Another $5 billion will help the authority upgrade its medical equipment and acquire advanced medical devices for treating cancer and other diseases requiring specialty services, he added.

An additional recurrent subvention of $400 million will also expand the scope of drugs subsided by the Government.

“All in all, these are short-term and medium-term measures to help improve the services of the medical sector,” he said.