Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Dr York Chow has called for more effort in ensuring the health of the elderly.

He told legislators today that limitations in public resources mean that Elderly Health Centres alone will not be sufficient to address the healthcare needs of the elderly. He said all stakeholders must work together to meet the varying needs of the elderly through various measures and services.

The 18 centres have 39,900 members. About 25,000 elders are waiting for enrolment. Dr Chow said there will be substantial resource implications in adjusting the membership size of the centres in accordance with the changes in the elderly population.

"It is not practical to solely rely upon the centres to address the healthcare needs of the elderly. We need to involve other stakeholders in providing primary healthcare to the elderly," he said.

The Government is collaborating with other stakeholders to enhance family medicine training on elderly care for general practitioners.