Hong Kong 2006
 GO
Chapter 8:
Health
Introduction
Organisational Framework
Primary Healthcare Services
Secondary, Tertiary
and Specialised
Healthcare Services
Health Promotion
Smoking and Health
Disease Prevention
and Control
Health Regulatory Activities
Training of Medical
and Health Personnel
Laboratory Services
Auxiliary Medical Service
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Organisational Framework

The Health, Welfare and Food Bureau is responsible for, among other things, formulating policies and allocating resources for the running of Hong Kong's health services. It also oversees the implementation of these policies to protect and promote public health, provide lifelong holistic healthcare to every citizen of Hong Kong, and ensure that no one is denied adequate medical treatment through lack of means.

The Department of Health is the Government's health adviser and agency to execute healthcare policies and statutory functions. It safeguards the community's health through a range of promotional, preventive, curative and rehabilitative services.

The Hospital Authority is a statutory body established in 1990 under the Hospital Authority Ordinance to provide public hospital and related services. It offers medical treatment and rehabilitation services to patients through hospitals, specialist clinics, general outpatient clinics, and outreaching services that are administratively organised into seven clusters together covering the whole of Hong Kong.

The Health and Medical Development Advisory Committee, chaired by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, has 12 members drawn from different sectors of the community. Its role is to review regularly the way healthcare services are provided in Hong Kong and to draw up a long-term plan for maintaining and financing quality services. In July 2005, the Committee issued a discussion paper on the desired future healthcare service delivery model, which won wide public support. Its key recommendations included:

(a) paying greater attention to primary health care and promoting the family doctor concept;
(b) more collaboration and cooperation between the public and private sectors and focusing the public sector in its priority areas;
(c) caring for the elderly, patients with chronic diseases, and patients in the rehabilitation stage in the community as far as possible; and
(d) making use of information technology to establish a territory-wide electronic patient record system.

The recommendations in the discussion paper are being gradually taken in hand and implemented. Issues related to healthcare reform and financing arrangements are now being studied with a view to initiating public consultation in 2007.

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