For an immigrant, investment immigration to Hong Kong requires not only an understanding of the advantages and development prospects of immigration programs but also whether it is suitable for living. Today, I will introduce how to access emergency services in public hospitals in Hong Kong, which is absolutely practical!
In Hong Kong, there are several options for accessing emergency services: 1. Public hospital emergency rooms; 2. Private clinics; 3. Private hospital emergency rooms/24-hour outpatient services.
In comparison, public hospital emergency rooms have the lowest fees. Hong Kong residents (including non-permanent residents) are charged HKD 100 per visit, and even for hospitalization, the charge is HKD 100 per day (including various examinations and surgeries), with 24-hour service, although the waiting time may be relatively long.
Private clinics are the most convenient, usually found in various shopping malls and residential areas. A general outpatient visit (for example, for cold, flu, or diarrhea) typically costs around HKD 300-500, including 2-3 days of medication.
However, some clinics are closed on weekends, and a few clinics offer evening consultation services. The services at clinics are limited by medical equipment, and in some cases, doctors may refer patients to public or private hospitals. There are also private hospitals in Hong Kong that provide round-the-clock emergency services, but these private hospitals are concentrated in the more affluent areas of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, with relatively high fees. Treatment is charged incrementally, starting from HKD 500 for basic bandaging, and over HKD 1,000 for wound suturing, but the waiting time is usually not too long.
The public hospitals in Hong Kong, managed by the Hospital Authority, are divided into seven networks based on regions: Eastern Hong Kong Island, Western Hong Kong Island, Eastern Kowloon, Central Kowloon, Western Kowloon, Eastern New Territories, and Western New Territories. Among all networks, there are a total of sixteen public hospitals with emergency departments providing 24-hour service.
To access emergency services, you need to provide identification documents for registration, such as a Hong Kong Identity Card, a Hong Kong and Macao Travel Permit, or a passport. The identity registration is necessary because the fees differ: Hong Kong residents are charged HKD 100 per visit, while non-Hong Kong residents are charged HKD 990 per visit. Therefore, it is advised for expatriates in Hong Kong to remember to bring their Hong Kong Identity Card. Moreover, all public hospitals in Hong Kong have interconnected electronic medical records; once identity is confirmed, the patient's previous medical records from any public hospital will be displayed, facilitating the doctor's diagnosis.
The emergency departments of public hospitals implement a triage system, meaning that patients are prioritized based on the severity of their condition rather than on a first-come, first-served basis. After registering in the emergency department, a nurse specifically responsible for triage will assess your condition. The triage nurse is usually a senior nurse manager who will categorize patients into five categories based on their condition in a very short time: critical, urgent, emergency, semi-urgent, and non-urgent.
Why is this classification necessary?
The emergency departments of public hospitals receive the majority of emergency patients in Hong Kong. Due to the large number of patients, hospitals need to ensure that those with urgent medical needs receive priority treatment. Generally, critically ill patients do not need to wait, and medical staff will respond immediately. Patients categorized as urgent typically wait about 15 minutes, while emergency patients wait about 30 minutes. Therefore, some non-urgent patients may have to wait for a longer time. During busy periods, the waiting time may extend to several hours. The emergency department has a designated waiting area with seating, as well as wheelchairs and beds available for patients in need.
The emergency department has a standard medical record for each visit. Doctors will fill out a detailed record of the patient's information, medical history, symptoms for this visit, and examination and test results. This record will later be uploaded to the interconnected electronic medical record system of public hospitals. As a side note, although the electronic medical records are interconnected across Hong Kong, each doctor can only view the records of patients treated in their own hospital or by themselves. The Hospital Authority's computer system has strict monitoring procedures, and if a doctor casually accesses another patient's records, they will be subject to severe investigation, which is done to protect patient privacy. After seeing the doctor and completing the necessary examinations and tests, if hospitalization is not required, the patient can go home after receiving medication. In some cases, a follow-up visit to the emergency department may be required in two to three days. If hospitalization is necessary, the doctor will issue a hospitalization certificate, also known as an "admission paper."
The hospitalization procedures are handled at the hospital's admission office, where identification and the admission paper must be presented. In public hospitals in Hong Kong, if a doctor believes that a patient's condition requires hospitalization, it cannot be said to be 100% guaranteed, but in the vast majority of cases, a bed can be arranged. Sometimes we see in the news that patients in mainland China have to search various hospitals for a bed; this situation does not occur in Hong Kong.