Apart from a husband or wife, you also need at least one more lifelong partner - a family doctor. That's the message the government wants to send out in the next few months in a bid to cut down on 'doctor shopping' in Hong Kong.
But some doctors and patients-rights activists have questioned the use of the promotional drive, saying that patients will continue switching doctors frequently until there is reform to create financial incentives for them to stick to one.
Patients can freely choose doctors in the private market. No referral letter from a primary care doctor is needed to see a private specialist. And with patients often changing doctors according to their employers' medical plans, it has been difficult to establish a family doctor system in Hong Kong.
As part of its primary care reform, the government will launch the city's first Web-based primary care directory in April. It will carry information about the qualifications and experience of doctors and dentists providing services as the point of first contact for patients.
The directory will also show whether these doctors have taken continuous medical education to refresh their skills and knowledge.
Deputy Secretary for Food and Health Thomas Chan Chung-ching said family doctors are those who not only take care of immediate medical problems but also give advice on a range of issues such as stopping smoking and mental health.