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Following is a question by the Hon Andrey Eu and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (January 27):
Question:
In recent years, the number of patients waiting to receive cataract surgery at public hospitals has persistently increased and the waiting time has also continued to increase. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether it knows the amount of resources allocated by the Hospital Authority to cope with the medical needs of patients with cataract in the last financial year;
(b) of the average waiting time for cataract surgery in public hospitals at present;
(c) of the current number of patients of public hospitals with cataract, broken down by age groups (below 50 years old, followed by groups covering 10 years each and up to 80 years old or above); and
(d) whether the Government has any plan to provide more medical allowances (such as in the form of health care vouchers) for elderly patients waiting to receive cataract surgery, so as to facilitate their use of private medical services?
Reply:
President,
(a) Hospital Authority (HA)'s expenditure on the provision of in-patient service for cataract patients amounts to about $245 million in 2008-09. This includes subsidies for 2,937 patients who have enrolled for the Cataract Surgeries Programme but excludes expenditure on the provision of out-patient service for cataract patients.
(b) The average waiting time for cataract surgeries in HA's hospitals as at December 2009 is estimated to be 36 months. HA will review the cases on the waiting list in the coming year, and arrange priority surgeries within two months for patients with both eyes suffering from cataract and with dense whitish and brownish cataract.
(c) The numbers of patients waiting for cataract surgeries in HA's hospitals (by different age groups) as at December 2009 are set out below:
Age group Number of patients on the waiting list
50 or below 809
51 – 60 2,720
61 – 70 8,213
71-80 25,063
80 or above 17,348
(d) In February, 2008, with the support of Government funding, the HA launched the Cataract Surgeries Programme which allows eligible patients to choose to receive surgeries either in the private sector or in public hospitals through public-private partnership. Under this programme, HA will provide a fixed amount of subsidy to patients who choose to receive surgeries in the private sector and at the same time increase the number of surgeries conducted in public hospitals, so as to reduce the waiting time for cataract surgeries. So far, nearly 7,000 patients have successfully received surgeries and restored their eyesight. Feedbacks from the participating patients are generally positive. HA is considering extending the programme for the benefit of patients.
Ends/Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Issued at HKT 12:41
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