The Hong Kong government needs to reform the healthcare system of the special administrative region with a view to optimizing the use of precious and limited healthcare resources and ensuring the sustainability of the healthcare system, said the city’s health chief.

With an ageing population and the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, the SAR government needs to keep abreast of the times, Prof Lo Chung-mau said when he met World Health Organization Regional Director for the Western Pacific Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala on Monday.

Prof Lo gave Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, who is visiting Hong Kong to exchange views on public health issues, an overview of Hong Kong’s highly efficient public healthcare system.

He said the HKSAR government has been strenuously supporting and collaborating with the WHO and the country in tackling public health challenges, striving to safeguard public health and contribute to global public health.

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He pointed out that the Department of Health has been designated as the WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine, as well as the WHO Collaborating Centre for Smoking Cessation and Treatment of Tobacco Dependence.

The Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the Centre for Health Protection has also been designated as a reference laboratory for various communicable diseases, he added.

“The Hospital Authority is the cornerstone of Hong Kong's healthcare system. It serves nearly 90 percent of Hong Kong’s population of some 7.5 million and provides integrated healthcare services that are heavily subsidized by the SAR government at nearly 98 percent, so as to ensure that no citizen is denied appropriate healthcare services due to financial difficulty.”

The SAR government has established a robust healthcare safety net for citizens, and the city’s healthcare system has taken the world lead in terms of quality and efficiency for many years, he added.

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The secretary for health also introduced Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala to Hong Kong’s strategies in promoting the development of primary healthcare.

Released in December 2022, the Primary Healthcare Blueprint is committed to building a prevention-oriented and community-based healthcare system and providing personalized, coherent and comprehensive healthcare services through initiatives such as the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme and the District Health Centre network.

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Prof Lo stressed that the SAR government will continue to promote primary healthcare development on all fronts, with a view to contributing to the WHO’s vision of health equity.

Hospital Authority Chief Executive Dr Tony Ko Pat-sing and a number of officials of the Health Bureau and the Department of Health also attended the meeting.