Letters | Hong Kong kids with ADHD need more help: socially, medically and financially
- A years-long waiting time for treatment in public hospitals is surely affecting tens of thousands of children with ADHD
- These children might not receive life-changing medical attention until it is too late
My 10-year-old daughter has had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) since early 2017. The condition has affected her studies, friendships and family relationships, and it is hurting her social life and self-esteem during a key stage of her childhood. However, a long waiting time of up to three years for treatment in public hospitals is straining her health and my finances, and I do not believe our story represents an exception. There are tens of thousands of children with ADHD in Hong Kong who face the same challenges, along with their families.
My daughter started showing clear signs of ADHD in Primary Three. Although she immediately joined the queue for a firm diagnosis and treatment in the public health system, she was told she probably would not receive the medical attention she needed until she got to Primary Six. Desperate to prove my daughter’s worsening condition, I scrambled for letters of support from teachers, a social worker and a private doctor – in the hope that treatment could be given sooner. Two years on, she is still waiting for her turn to see a specialist. Meanwhile, it is costing thousands of dollars per month for my daughter to receive sustained private treatment.
In school, other children have been told by their parents to stay away from my daughter because she is “odd” and “uncontrollable”. At home, my in-laws say I am not a “competent” mother, while relatives wonder if I might need some assistance. Tensions between family members often flare up because of the struggle that we all find ourselves in.
