Teens set to smile with new subsidy

Wallis Wang

Those aged between 13 and 17 will be subsidized for private dental check-up services, John Lee said.

Under a new Primary Dental Co-care Pilot Scheme for Adolescents, the administration will promote preventive care for teens in this age range.

Authorities will collaborate with non-governmental organizations to enhance emergency and special care dental services for the underprivileged, vulnerable groups with special needs and the disabled.

More elderly will enjoy subsidies for dental check-ups, scaling and polishing and fillings with enhancements for the Elderly Dental Assistance Program.

New pathways will also be provided for admission of non-locally trained dentists and nurses to serve in specified institutions.

With that in mind, amendment bills to the Dentists Registration and the Nurses Registration ordinances will be introduced by the middle of next year.

Authorities are gradually increasing training places for ancillary dental workers starting from the 2023/24 academic year and provide tuition sponsorship to attract more people to join the industry.

As well, an approval authority will be set up to register drugs and medical devices.

The authority will directly approve applications for drug registrations based on clinical data so that the SAR will no longer have to rely on other countries for drug registration, Lee said.

"We will endeavor to attract more pharmaceutical and medical device enterprises, both locally and from around the world, to conduct research and development and clinical trials in Hong Kong, and build up the capacity, recognition and status to ensure that the eventual approval mechanism of drugs and medical devices of Hong Kong would be widely recognized internationally and by the mainland," he said.

As a first step, the administration will first set up a preparatory office next year to study the potential restructuring and strengthening of the current regulatory and approval regimes for medicine.

As well, coverage of the elderly health care vouchers will be initially extended to about five medical institutions in the Greater Bay Area as trial service points for the provision of primary health-care services.

Sources said authorities are still looking for suitable mainland medical institutions, adding they should be located where Hongkongers stay and have sufficient manpower to handle the use of the health vouchers.

Tim Pang Hung-cheong from the Society for Community Organisation said the arrangement will benefit 85,000 Hong Kong seniors living in the mainland.

Some elderly locals may also travel to the mainland for dental service, he said.