The Food & Health Bureau today invited proposals from non-governmental organisations to provide services for the operation of District Health Centre (DHC) Express in 11 districts.

These districts are Central & Western District, Eastern District, Islands District, Kowloon City, Kwun Tong, North District, Sai Kung, Sha Tin, Tai Po, Wan Chai and Yau Tsim Mong.

Future DHC Express operators will have a gearing-up period of up to six months for the targeted commissioning of the services in 2021, and the operation will be for three years.

The Government aims to introduce the interim DHC Express in advance of the full-fledged DHCs to build up a critical mass of district-based primary healthcare services throughout the city as early as practicable.

It will provide district-based primary healthcare services with government subsidies, including health promotion, health risk factors assessment and chronic disease management similar to those of a DHC but on a more basic scale.

DHC Express will facilitate community medical-social support for the public through the identification of healthcare and social resources, as well as early engagement of community service partners in the districts.

Applicants must be non-profit-making NGOs with tax-exemption status under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance.

The basic services to be provided by DHC Express are set out in the Invitation for Proposals. Application forms together with supporting documents should be submitted to the Primary Healthcare Office, Food & Health Bureau, Unit 1505-06, 15/F, THE HUB, 23 Yip Kan Street, Wong Chuk Hang before 5pm on November 18.

A briefing session will be held for interested NGOs on October 6. For enquiries, contact the Primary Healthcare Office of the bureau at 2205 2549 or through email.