Population shift forces re-think on second hospital development plan, says health minister

The second hospital development plan will be re-evaluated, Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said, with the planning cycle expected to extend to 2040 or beyond in light of changes in population and development.

At today’s Legislative Council meeting about the ten-year Hospital Development Plan (HDP), Lo said it currently includes 16 projects, 14 of which have been upgraded to Category A projects, with total budget exceeding HK$186.3 billion. 

The remaining two projects — a health center and a community health center complex— will also be submitted for Category A projects soon.

Lo expects that upon completion of the first hospital plan, the public healthcare system will gain floor space of about 2.2 million square meters, including an additional 6,557 beds and 94 operating rooms.

He noted that the government has invited the Hospital Authority to prepare the second hospital development plan, which is expected to be implemented over the next decade to meet the projected service demands by 2036.

However, given changes in the local population structure and development, the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority are re-evaluating the plan to align with government policies, including primary healthcare, mental health services and Chinese medicine services, which may extend the planning cycle to 2040 and beyond.

Since 2016, the government has implemented the first HDP, allocating HK$200 billion for the construction, redevelopment and expansion of hospitals and healthcare facilities. 

In 2018, it invited the HA to begin planning the second HDP, which is expected to encompass 19 projects with an estimated cost of HK$270 billion.

(Cheng Wong)