The Health Bureau and the College of Family Physicians (HKCFP) jointly held the World Family Doctor Day Symposium today to discuss ways of enlisting concerted efforts to promote primary healthcare services with the family doctors.
 
Speaking at the symposium, Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau said that as promulgated in the Primary Healthcare Blueprint, family doctors form a system that helps citizens improve their health through a cross-disciplinary network.
 
The eHealth+ platform that is being constructed by the Government, coupled with a community-level network in which family doctors are supported by cross-disciplinary healthcare professionals, enables citizens to receive suitable primary healthcare services, he added.
 
“Our ultimate goal is to shift the focus of the healthcare system from treatment to prevention. Along the way, family doctors undoubtedly play an important role. I am hopeful that more doctors will join the ranks of family doctors.”
 
Taking the Chronic Disease Co-Care (CDCC) Pilot Scheme launched last November as an example, the health chief revealed that the scheme attracted nearly 38,000 citizens to date to undergo screening for diabetes mellitus and hypertension under a government subsidy.
 
Currently, 500-plus doctors put the “Family Doctor for All” concept into practice at over 600 service locations.
 
As at May 15, some 21,000 participants have completed screening and of that number, close to 40% were found to have prediabetes, diabetes mellitus or hypertension and are receiving prompt health management with doctors' assistance and under government subsidy, Prof Lo explained.
 
At today’s event, the bureau presented certificates to the HKCFP and family doctors who actively participate in the CDCC Pilot Scheme to acknowledge their efforts in the prevention of chronic diseases and their contribution to Hong Kong’s primary healthcare.
 
The symposium brought together over 100 representatives from different medical specialties. The Primary Healthcare Office, which will be transformed into the Primary Healthcare Commission, gave a preview of the Government's forthcoming initiatives in the Primary Healthcare Blueprint.
 
The initiatives include the expansion of the number of drugs in the drug list of the CDCC Pilot Scheme, the ramping up of nurse clinics and allied healthcare services as well as upgrading the functions of the electronic platform to fine-tune the pilot scheme.