Proposal is a good first step to draw patients away from crowded public hospitals and bring balance, they say
Private hospitals and doctors welcomed the government's medical reform proposals, which they say address the imbalance between an overburdened public system and an underused private sector.
While technical details needed to be worked out, they said the reform report was a move in the right direction.
The vice-president of the Private Hospitals Association, Alan Lau Kwok-lam, described the report as revolutionary.
'It is the first step taken by the government to do something with the health-care system, which has not undergone any major change for many years. We are supportive and positive about the concept [of repositioning the public and private sectors],' he said.
But he said the association was disappointed that the government did not consult private hospitals before it released the proposals. Without the consultation, Dr Lau said the government had overlooked some important areas, notably the ability of private hospitals to provide 24-hour clinical services.
'All 12 private hospitals already have a very long history of running 24-hour clinics which has equipped us with the experience,' he said. 'We can open 24-hour clinics outside our hospitals. However, the report mainly focused on private clinics and health management organisations.'
