Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)

Advocates say Hong Kong must do more to help elderly residents get the medical care they need.

Chow Siu-wan, 66, said she was unfamiliar with the Hospital Authority’s online system for outpatient clinic services and could only call the hotline.

“If I cannot get through to someone within the first 30 seconds, it will be fully booked,” she said. It took her three days to book an appointment. Then, she had to wait a few months to get the X-ray that she needed.

Not only do outpatient services have long wait times, but so do accident and emergency (A&E) services at public hospitals.

To reduce A&E wait times, the city’s health minister has said those who abused these services could have to pay a fee.

But Chan Wah-lai, 70, said the proposed increase in A&E costs might stop the elderly from getting critical help.

She woke up one morning with difficulty breathing and speaking but did not want to “waste resources” by visiting the A&E department. But after a friend persuaded Chan to go, a doctor said she needed immediate medical care as she was at risk of a heart attack.

“If you increase the cost ... I will not go to the A&E,” she said.

Quiz time

1. What obstacles keep the elderly from getting medical care?

2. Why do some elderly patients struggle to book outpatient appointments?

3. Why is the government proposing a new fee?

4. How did the elderly person in the article respond to the proposal to charge a fee for those “abusing” A&E services at public hospitals?

Sample answers

1. The A&E wait times are long, and it is difficult to book outpatient appointments.

2. The bookings fill up too quickly, and seniors may not know how to navigate the online booking website.

3. The proposal hopes to stop people from abusing the A&E services at public hospitals.

4. Chan says she will stop using the A&E services if she has to pay more money.