Two traditional Chinese medicine hospitals are included for the first time in the Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme, the government announced.
The scheme will now cover 21 healthcare institutions across all nine mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area.
Manny Lam Man-chung, the Department of Health's principal medical and health officer, said that given the high demand for traditional Chinese medicine services among Hong Kong's elderly population, the move aims to provide seniors with more accessible and suitable healthcare options.
Speaking on a radio program on Tuesday, Lam revealed that the government is working closely with newly included healthcare institutions to implement system integration and staff training.
He indicated the new arrangement is expected to be rolled out progressively by the fourth quarter of this year, benefiting approximately 1.78 million eligible elderly residents across Hong Kong.
Lam clarified that the usage guidelines and service coverage of the scheme remain unchanged, requiring no prior registration.
However, he noted that most mainland outpatient services accept advance appointments, enabling seniors to access care more efficiently.
During the same program, lawmaker Kingsley Wong Kwok observed that increasing numbers of retirees are choosing to settle in mainland during their golden years.
While welcoming the new policy's potential to address their medical needs, he suggested expanding coverage to include particularly popular services like Shenzhen dental care in future iterations.
Noticing a large population of Hong Kong retirees in Dongguan, Wong urged the government to conduct a policy review by the end of the year and gradually expand coverage, given that currently only one healthcare institution in the city participates.
(Cheng Wong)
