By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-01-08 11:57:08 | Updated at 2025-01-09 12:06:00
1 day ago
The health minister has dismissed calls from lawmakers to restrict identity card holders who have moved overseas from using public health services when they are visiting Hong Kong, arguing the extra screening procedure would be a burden.
At a Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday, several lawmakers said that allowing Hongkongers from overseas to use local public medical services could lead to “unnecessary public expenditure”.
But Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau raised concerns over how the category of users would be defined.
“How to define the status of ordinarily residing in Hong Kong, emigrating overseas or returning to Hong Kong for residence, so as to adjust or even restrict holders of valid Hong Kong identity cards from enjoying local welfare and utilising public services is a complex issue that requires extensive discussion before a consensus can be reached,” he said.
The minister said the Hospital Authority had no intention of requiring all identity card holders to prove how long they have been in the city to receive treatment. Such a move could create barriers for residents seeking medical services, he said.
“Having a doctor checking your period of stay in Hong Kong at each consultation can be a heavy burden on our medical staff and our 7.5 million residents in Hong Kong,” he said.
