On the last day of his visit to Shenzhen, Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau toured the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital's (HKU-SZH) Huawei Li Zhi Yuan Community Health Service Center and the Cuizhu Community Health Service Centre Luohu Hospital Group Shenzhen.

Prof Lo pointed out that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government released the Primary Healthcare Blueprint last year in the face of pressure brought about by an aging population and the prevalence of chronic diseases in the city, which sets out various reform initiatives to reinforce the city's primary healthcare services.

Through the adoption of different prevention-oriented, community-based and family-centric strategies, it aims to improve the overall health of citizens by providing coherent and comprehensive healthcare services and establishing a sustainable healthcare system.

The operation mode and experience of the two facilities he visited today served as good references for the Hong Kong SAR Government in pushing ahead with the development of primary healthcare, he said.

The health chief also announced that starting April 17, eligible Hong Kong elderly can use the health care vouchers issued by the Hong Kong SAR Government to pay for their outpatient healthcare service fees at the Huawei Community Health Service Center.

This will further facilitate Hong Kong senior citizens living in Shenzhen to use the outpatient services there, he added.

Before concluding his trip, Prof Lo visited the HKU-SZH and attended a meeting with its Hospital Chief Executive Prof Kenneth Cheung and the Shenzhen Municipal Health Commission's Deputy Director General Li Chuang to learn about the latest development of the hospital.

The meeting was held with the goal of strengthening medical co-operation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen for better integration into the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.