Hong Kong is missing a valuable opportunity by failing to establish our city as a leading centre for medical tourism. While lawmakers and health professionals talk and talk about what can and should be done, the rest of the region is cashing in on what has become an area of phenomenal growth.
The pity is that although Hong Kong has first-rate medical facilities and highly qualified staff, the lack of a policy means we are failing to attract people to come to the city for health checkups and treatment. What's more, hundreds - perhaps even thousands - of Hong Kong residents go each month to the mainland, Australia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand for cheaper, high-quality care.
Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen picked up on the idea in his policy address last week, pledging to 'explore the feasibility of setting up multi-partite medical centres of excellence' that 'would become focal points for experts, provide training opportunities and further entrench Hong Kong's position as an outstanding professional medical treatment centre in the region'.
These are the right words, but should have been delivered last decade when medical tourism was taking off in the region in the wake of the Asian economic crisis. Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand were quickly alert to the possibilities as their private hospitals sought ways to generate income and they are now magnets to patients from around the world.
Thailand's hospitals were among the first in the region to focus on attracting overseas patients and their success has led other medical centres to follow suit. Health checks in Thailand can cost half of what they do here, even accounting for air fares and accommodation, while the country has also built a reputation for specialised treatment, such as knee replacement and heart and cosmetic surgery.
The Thai government has been supportive of the industry, as a glance at the Tourist Authority of Thailand's website attests. Malaysia's government assisted development of the industry through the formation of the National Committee for the Promotion of Health Tourism. Government agencies in Singapore have made similar efforts, helping draw visitors the world over to hospitals held in high esteem for the international-class standard of service they offer.
