Hong Kong pharmacy operator in fraud arrest accused of offering illegal means for elderly to cash in medical vouchers
- Sham Shui Po shop alleged to have given HK$4,000 in cash, on top of abalone products, to user in return for HK$8,000 in vouchers to be reimbursed by government
- Case believed to be the first arrest relating to medical voucher scheme deception
A Hong Kong dispensary operator and four of his colleagues have been arrested for allegedly offering illegal means for the elderly to cash in medical vouchers provided by the government.
Upon a complaint made late last month, officers from Sham Shui Po district conducted an investigation and raided a pharmacy on Pei Ho Street at 11am on Wednesday.
A 36-year-old manager and four workers aged between 25 and 56 were detained over fraud, with the case believed to be the first arrest relating to deception over a healthcare voucher scheme.
The shop in question allegedly accepted HK$8,000 in medical vouchers from a woman to be reimbursed by the government, paying her HK$4,000 in cash and giving her eight cans of abalone as well as two bottles of chilli sauce, according to a police source.
Under the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme, introduced in 2009 and regularised in 2014, eligible residents aged 65 or above are given a HK$2,000 voucher annually to help pay for certain medical services in the private sector, including consultations with Chinese medicine practitioners.