HK$300 million pilot scheme to help injured construction workers get back to work faster launched by Hong Kong government
- About 5,000 injured construction industry staff expected to benefit from plan to subsidise cost of private healthcare to speed recovery
- Acting commissioner for labour says scheme will help injured recover faster, return to work earlier and stop development of chronic conditions
Around 5,000 construction workers injured on the job are expected to benefit from a HK$300 million (US$38.2 million) three-year pilot programme funded by the Hong Kong government that will allow them to use private healthcare services at a subsidised rate.
The scheme, announced on Friday, will allow construction industry staff with workplace injuries to get fast treatment so they can recover sooner, return to work earlier and prevent their injuries from becoming chronic conditions, according to acting commissioner for labour Jeff Leung Wing-yan.
“This pilot programme aims to use construction industry workers as a starting point, where we can see if providing services to these workers with work injuries using this method will bring the benefits we expected,” he said.
Only construction industry employees who sustain a musculoskeletal work injury or occupational disease on or after September 1 will be eligible for the programme, launched by the Labour Department.
They must also be expected to be absent from work, or have been off, for at least six weeks.
Leung said more than 90 per cent of on-the-job injuries in the construction industry were related to musculoskeletal problems, which included conditions such as strains, sprains, fractures or dislocations.