The Department of Health (DH) announced that the regulatory regime for clinics and small practice clinics (SPCs) including under the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance came into effect on Monday (Oct 13).
Applications are now open for clinic licenses, which are valid for up to five years, while authorities estimate that around 3,500 SPCs with no more than five registered doctors or dentists are eligible for exemption letters.
The DH has stipulated that licensees of private healthcare institutions must bear full responsibility for the operation of their facilities and appoint a medical executive to oversee daily management.
Darwin Mak Wai-lai, head of the Office for Regulation of Private Healthcare Facilities, explained that the expanded legislation enables medical professionals to oversee clinic operations and ensure patient safety.
“The primary goal of the legislation is to regulate clinics operating under corporate medical groups,” Mak said.
Relevant clinics are not permitted to admit pregnant women for childbirth, nor are they allowed to perform certain medical procedures listed by the authorities, such as liposuction and hemodialysis.
The DH estimated that clinics will require a transitional period of at least six months to prepare their license applications. The effective date for penalties will be announced based on the application progress of clinics.
Operating a clinic without a license may result in a fine of HK$100,000 and three years of imprisonment upon conviction. The authorities pledged to conduct regular inspections of private healthcare facilities and warned that licenses could be revoked if serious violations are found.
The new regulations came after the abrupt closure of the private medical centre Alliance Medical Group in early May, which resulted in over 658 complaints involving more than HK$3.67 million.
