Waiting list for subsidised elderly homes may last 50 years
As thousands queue for subsidised homes, the 1,700 places pledged by chief executive in his policy address are likely to have little impact
Clearing the waiting list for government-subsidised homes for the elderly could take up to 50 years if provision increases at the pace outlined in the chief executive's policy address.
With an average of about 570 new places being rolled out each year that would mean, in theory, it would take 50 years to clear the queue. But an accurate figure is impossible; as places become available, more people are added to the list and many die waiting.
The queue for subsidised care homes has grown 22 per cent from 23,553 in 2007.
Labour and Welfare Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said yesterday he wanted to be able to promise a target waiting time, but added: "The difficulty lies not only with the government, but the circumstances. When applying for care homes, the elderly can choose a district. Some even indicate which home they prefer, while some name a preferred religious background."
The Post also found that 95 per cent of the 1,714 expected new subsidised places announced by Leung had been pledged by his predecessor, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen.