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| The govt plans to charge fees for CT scans and MRIs to cut down on waiting time (File) |
Hong Kong’s plan to start charging patients in public hospitals for such services as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has elicited mixed reactions, with some experts saying caution is needed in getting the plan implemented.
Luk Che-hung, a former senior Hospital Authority
official said the government should cap the medical expenses of patients so
they become “reasonable”.
Luk said some medical services cost a lot, so
putting a cap on the charges would ensure a patient is still able to afford the
treatments.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
His call came in the wake of Health Secretary Lo
Chung-mau’s announcement of a plan to charge certain patients for expensive and
highly sought after hospital services such as CT scans and MRIs to prevent
abuse.
But Lo said hospitalized patients or those needing
emergency care would be exempt.
Luk said he was in favor of revising the fee
mechanism as it could help reduce waiting times at public hospitals or force those who can afford it, resort to getting private healthcare.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
However, it could add to the burden on the emergency
and triage sections of public hospitals as some patients might try to get the
treatments done at A&E to avoid paying.
Meanwhile, a patient’s group representative
expressed concern that the co-pay plan could deter some ailing people,
especially those from the middle class, to defer or avoid seeking medical help.
Alex Lam, chairman of Hong
Kong Patients' Voices told RTHK that patients who are not qualified to receive
social welfare assistance because of the means test would hesitate to pay
hundreds or thousands of dollars for hospital treatments, even if it would mean
not getting prompt diagnoses.
“In the end, their condition
may get worse,” said Lam.
In announcing the co-pay
plan, Lo said the demand for such complicated imaging services such as CT scans
and MRIs keeps increasing, resulting in longer waiting time.
“We have to stress that these items are
completely free now, as they are fully funded by the government, and that has
led to an excessive use of services,” he added.
Lo said the fee adjustment and charges
is needed to better allocate resources and ensure prompt treatment for patients
who are in serious condition or need urgent care.
