Chinese medicine hospital fee to be same as clinics

The fee structure of Hong Kong's first Chinese medicine hospital, set to open next year, will be similar to that at the SAR administration's 18 Chinese medicine clinics, according to its project director, Cheung Wai-lun.

Currently, the clinics charge HK$120 per consultation, which comes with five doses of medicine, and these services have consistently been fully booked, indicating the cost is acceptable, Cheung said.

The hospital in Pak Shing Kok, Tseung Kwan O, is expected to begin operations at the end of next year.

Cheung said yesterday that 65 percent of the hospital's services will be subsidized, while the rest will operate in a private-sector mode.

In determining the medical fee, the hospital will take affordability into account, and a decision will be made in the middle of next year. Charges for general clinical services will be similar to those at the 18 Chinese medicine clinics-cum-training and research centers.

"Fees for inpatient and related services will be set slightly higher, particularly if patients seek renowned doctors or personalized services," Cheung said.

In the future, the 18 clinics will be connected to the Chinese medicine hospital and serve as "satellite clinics."

If Chinese medicine practitioners at the clinics come across complex cases, they can refer patients directly to the hospital. For follow-up visits, patients can be referred to the district clinics.

Cheung added that the hospital will not be an isolated institution but an open hospital. Practitioners who work at the clinics will take turns working at the hospital.

However, the hospital will not have an accident and emergency room, and general anesthesia and delivery services will not be provided. This decision was made to enable services to be primarily focused on Chinese medicine or collaborative Chinese-Western medicine.

Hospitalizing patients experiencing restricted mobility or a loss of self-care abilities due to conditions such as a herniated intervertebral disc or stroke would allow for closer monitoring of their conditions and a better understanding of their responses to treatment, he said, adding that it would enable further development of comprehensive treatment plans.