Hong Kong will launch a Primary Healthcare Co-care Network with a target participation of around 700,000 people over the first five years, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced in the annual budget on Wednesday.
The initiative aligns with the government’s effort to deepen the development of primary healthcare in the community.
Chan said the network will extend screening to include hepatitis B and other diseases, strengthen cross-disciplinary collaboration, and improve support services such as medical laboratory testing and diagnostic radiology.
He added that the government will also implement the community drug formulary and launch the community pharmacy program in the second half of this year to bring more convenience to the public.
Meanwhile, the Elderly Health Care Voucher Pilot Reward Scheme will be extended by two years until the end of 2028, involving an additional expenditure of about HK$1 billion.
Elderly persons who accumulate voucher spending of HK$1,000 or above within the same year on specific primary healthcare services, such as medical examinations and chronic disease management, will receive a HK$500 voucher reward.
Chan also highlighted that the 16 projects under the First Hospital Development Plan will be completed progressively.
The government is reviewing the scale and priority of projects under the Second Hospital Development Plan and will make an announcement in due course to take forward the projects in an orderly manner.
