Hong Kong urgently needs to build a strong primary care structure to alleviate the overloaded public healthcare system amid an ageing population and the higher risks of chronic diseases.
Primary healthcare for all
With a rapidly ageing population and growing prevalence of chronic diseases, Hong Kong is undergoing a shift of healthcare focus from curative treatment to prevention care.
Primary healthcare is the first point of contact in a continuous healthcare process. It provides accessible and person-centred care within the community. It is of great importance as it facilitates early diagnosis and helps people prevent serious illnesses.
The private sector provides some 70% of primary healthcare services. In 2019/20, only 17% of Hong Kong’s public health expenditure went to primary healthcare; about 77% of private health expenditure on primary healthcare was paid out-of-pocket.
According to the government’s latest health survey, 43.2% of people aged 15 or above have been diagnosed with at least one chronic health condition. The majority of them visit public clinics or hospitals for follow-up care. Just as alarmingly, a substantial number of people with chronic diseases remain undiagnosed and unmanaged. By 2039, the number of patients with chronic health conditions is expected to reach three million. All these issues lead to heavy reliance on the public system for chronic disease management and other health services. As the stress on the city’s healthcare system continues to mount, there is a pressing need to improve accessibility to quality primary healthcare.
In 2022, the government launched a blueprint to formulate strategies to further develop district-based primary healthcare services, with a view to building an important line of defence for public health and relieving the burden on the city’s overstretched public hospitals.
Recognising the urgency of building a strong primary healthcare infrastructure, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has taken forward a series of projects echoing the government’s direction to build a robust primary care system, a key element for the public to lead a healthy lifestyle. These initiatives enable easier and timelier access by the vulnerable and underprivileged to our healthcare services along a broad continuum, from disease screening, prevention and treatment, provision of support and care, to rehabilitation services. Our community medication support network, for example, provides accessible community pharmacy and dispensing services and promotes health literacy for all, thereby building the first line of defence in disease management.
Primary healthcare is the first point of contact in a continuous healthcare process. It provides accessible and person-centred care within the community. It is of great importance as it facilitates early diagnosis and helps people prevent serious illnesses.
The private sector provides some 70% of primary healthcare services. In 2019/20, only 17% of Hong Kong’s public health expenditure went to primary healthcare; about 77% of private health expenditure on primary healthcare was paid out-of-pocket.
According to the government’s latest health survey, 43.2% of people aged 15 or above have been diagnosed with at least one chronic health condition. The majority of them visit public clinics or hospitals for follow-up care. Just as alarmingly, a substantial number of people with chronic diseases remain undiagnosed and unmanaged. By 2039, the number of patients with chronic health conditions is expected to reach three million. All these issues lead to heavy reliance on the public system for chronic disease management and other health services. As the stress on the city’s healthcare system continues to mount, there is a pressing need to improve accessibility to quality primary healthcare.
In 2022, the government launched a blueprint to formulate strategies to further develop district-based primary healthcare services, with a view to building an important line of defence for public health and relieving the burden on the city’s overstretched public hospitals.
Recognising the urgency of building a strong primary healthcare infrastructure, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has taken forward a series of projects echoing the government’s direction to build a robust primary care system, a key element for the public to lead a healthy lifestyle. These initiatives enable easier and timelier access by the vulnerable and underprivileged to our healthcare services along a broad continuum, from disease screening, prevention and treatment, provision of support and care, to rehabilitation services. Our community medication support network, for example, provides accessible community pharmacy and dispensing services and promotes health literacy for all, thereby building the first line of defence in disease management.
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Jockey Club Children’s Palliative Care Project
Jockey Club support for young people with diabetes
Jockey Club Infection Control Training and Support Project for Sectors
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