Liang Hongfu

HK people take pride in health system

By Liang Hongfu (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-03-14 05:51

Not so long ago when the Hong Kong economy was mired in a recession and the government budget steeped in red, many loud-mouthed politicians and self-proclaimed economic gurus were feverishly calling for what they considered the much-needed reform of the medical system.

It was an easy target. Medical expenses constitute a large part of the government total recurrent expenditure. Citing an ageing population and widening budget deficit, these influential shapers of public opinions helped paint an alarming picture of a bankrupt medical system, marked by demoralized healthcare professionals and dilapidated hospitals and public clinics.

Their proposed solution was simple to the point of being callous: cut services and raise charges.

These were heartless suggestions that were an insult to the intelligence and decency of the majority of the people of Hong Kong. A system that ensures access to the highest standard of medical care by all has been the pride of every Hong Kong citizen. Like many other Hong Kong people, I take great pride in the fact that even the poorest among us can expect the best medical care when they need it.

We are particularly proud of the healthcare staff at many of our public hospitals and clinics, whose courage and dedication was clearly demonstrated to the world during the outbreak of the SARS epidemic in 2003. We cannot let these people down.

It's the duty of the government and every concerned citizen to maintain and improve the system of free medical care for all even if we have to skimp on other areas. To be sure, our public hospitals are crowded and the waiting time to see a specialist is always long. Despite such deficiencies, a huge number of people are being treated everyday and countless lives are saved.

But numbers can only tell a small part of the story. Those people who believe that we should not be spending so much on medical care should spend time doing volunteer work at the public hospitals or clinics. Perhaps the real-life stories of the patients can help soften their stance.

Let's take the case of a child in Guangzhou. I read about his story in a bilingual book published by the Children Cancer Fund of Hong Kong. The child, whose name I withhold out of respect to him and his family, was diagnosed with leukaemia at a very young age. When the family ran out of money to pay the medical bills, treatment was stopped and the child was left to die.

Luckily for him, his father emigrated to Hong Kong years earlier. The father took his son to Hong Kong for treatment at the Children Cancer Centre of the Prince of Wales Hospital. The treatment, including hospital stay, chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant, was practically free. The child returned home after he had fully recovered.

While we feel happy for the child and his family, we take great comfort in knowing that if such misfortunes should befall us, we shall not be abandoned.

The provision of medical care to the sick and poor has always been a tradition in Hong Kong. The Tung Wah group of hospitals was established more than a century ago by charitable donations from local Chinese merchants.

Many of them were swashbuckling adventurers who came from poor rural areas without much of an education. And yet, they understood the plight of those who were less fortunate than them and were willing to help in the most generous of ways.

Compared to these merchant princes of the past, the property tycoons and financial wizards of today's Hong Kong are certainly a lot richer and, perhaps, just as powerful. But Hong Kong has not seen another Tung Wah in 100 years.

Times have changed. We have to accept that the government must bear the responsibility of upholding our tradition of ensuring that medical care will not be denied to anyone who is in need. The people of Hong Kong are not going to accept anything less.

Email: jamesleung@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 03/14/2006 page4)