April 2012 – Hong Kong’s Ailing Health System

Hong Kong has one of the better public health systems in the world but the system is groaning under the challenge of an aging population, spiralling costs and rising expectations.

In this issue of Periscope we look at some of the problems facing the public health system:

As many elderly people rely on the out-patient services of public hospitals, the government has introduced a voucher scheme encourage them to use private services instead

The Hospital Authority has turned to overseas-qualified doctors to make up the shortfall of physicians in public hospitals but the move has drawn the ire of local doctors

Nurses are leaving the  public sector and even the profession  in droves. What can be done to stem the exodus?