Lu Chongmao: The Hong Kong government's budget for regular healthcare expenditures in the current year is 118.9 billion Hong Kong dollars, an increase of 4% compared to the previous year.

On April 13, Professor Sophia Chan, Secretary for Food and Health of the Hong Kong SAR Government, stated in her opening remarks at a special meeting of the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council that the recurrent expenditure budget for healthcare in the fiscal year 2026-27 is HK$118.9 billion, an increase of 4% compared to the revised budget for 2025-26, accounting for 19.8% of the government's recurrent expenditure. Of this amount, HK$101.8 billion will be provided to the Hospital Authority in the fiscal year 2026-27, an increase of 2.8% from the revised budget of HK$99 billion in 2025-26 to address the budget growth demands. The major new measures implemented by the Hospital Authority include implementing reforms in public healthcare fees to enhance protection for patients in need, increasing capacity and quality by adding around 200 hospital beds, reducing waiting times for specialist outpatient services, establishing stroke and chest pain centers, and continuously developing smart wards, clinics, and pharmacies. As for private healthcare regulation, the Hong Kong government plans to submit regulations to the Legislative Council this year to enhance fee transparency. Professor Chan emphasized the government's commitment to reforming Hong Kong's drug and medical device approval and regulatory system, promoting clinical trials, and developing Hong Kong as an international medical innovation hub. The first phase of a new drug registration mechanism began in March 2026. Legislation will be submitted to establish a Drug and Medical Device Regulatory Centre by the end of the year, along with legislative proposals for medical device regulation. Following the launch of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Clinical Trials Cooperation Platform, the International Clinical Trials Academy in Hong Kong will be established by 2027, while the Real-World Research and Applied Center will construct a Greater Bay Area real-world data platform. Professor Chan also noted that there continues to be a shortage of healthcare professionals in Hong Kong, particularly in public healthcare. The government will continue to pursue a dual-track approach, with local training and the moderate introduction of non-local trained healthcare professionals to ensure an adequate workforce. Additionally, support has been provided for the establishment of a third medical school at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, with plans to develop the New Prince of Wales Hospital School and Comprehensive Medical Education Research Hospital, aiming to enroll the first batch of 50 students in the academic year 2028-29. In terms of primary healthcare development, the Hong Kong government introduced the Primary Healthcare Co-Governance Network last month, with a target of around 700,000 participants in the first five years. In addition to incorporating screening and management of "three highs" and hepatitis B, it will gradually cover more chronic diseases. The drug application list of the community will be implemented in the second half of the year, and the community pharmacy program will be launched in all 18 districts of Hong Kong in the fourth quarter. Professor Chan announced that the government will extend the Elderly Healthcare Voucher Incentive Scheme until the end of 2028, with an additional expenditure of HK$1 billion. Essentially, elderly individuals who accumulate medical expenses of HK$1,000 or more for specific primary healthcare purposes within the same year will receive a HK$500 incentive voucher. Regarding traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) development, Professor Chan stated that efforts will be made to promote TCM in Hong Kong and establish it as a gateway for TCM to the world. Following the launch of the Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Hospital and the Government Chinese Medicine Testing Centre, the government will progressively implement all policy measures outlined in the TCM Development Blueprint announced last year. Preliminary data indicates that the smoking rate in Hong Kong decreased from 9.1% in 2023 to 8.5% in 2025, reaching a historic low, with the daily number of smokers decreasing by nearly 100,000 compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The government will implement various tobacco control measures. Finally, Professor Chan mentioned that the government will continue to implement the five-year "eHealth+" plan, establishing an integrated medical information infrastructure that combines data sharing, service delivery, and process management, to create a comprehensive digital health network covering Hong Kong and connecting to the Greater Bay Area.