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Community Care Fund rolls out Pilot Scheme on Providing Special Subsidy for Persons with Permanent Stoma from Low-income Families for Purchasing Medical Consumables
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The following is issued on behalf of the Community Care Fund Secretariat:
 
     The Community Care Fund (CCF) today (September 29) rolled out a three-year pilot scheme, namely the Pilot Scheme on Providing Special Subsidy for Persons with Permanent Stoma from Low-income Families for Purchasing Medical Consumables, which aims at providing persons with permanent stoma from low-income families with a special subsidy to relieve their financial burdens. The Pilot Scheme is administered by the Social Welfare Department (SWD).
 
     Under the Pilot Scheme, the SWD will calculate the rate of subsidy for eligible persons based on their monthly household income. There are three levels of subsidy, i.e. those with household income at or less than 100 per cent of the Median Monthly Domestic Household Income (MMDHI) can receive a full grant of the subsidy (a $1,000 subsidy per month), those with household income from more than 100 per cent to 125 per cent of the MMDHI can receive three-quarters grant of the subsidy (a $750 subsidy per month), and those with household income from more than 125 per cent to 150 per cent of the MMDHI can receive a half grant of the subsidy (a $500 subsidy per month). The Pilot Scheme is expected to benefit about 1 500 persons.
 
     Beneficiaries under the Pilot Scheme shall meet all of the criteria in (i) to (v) and one of the criteria in (vi) and (vii) below:
 
(i) confirmed to have permanent stoma (excretory stoma) by a Medical Officer/Nurse of a public hospital/clinic/Surgical Specialist on the Specialist Register of the Medical Council of Hong Kong (only applicable to an applicant not receiving surgical treatment in a public hospital/clinic); and
(ii) must not be a recipient of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance; and
(iii) the monthly household income must not exceed 150 per cent of the relevant MMDHI; and
(iv) the family's assets must not exceed the asset limit for public rental housing application under the Housing Authority; and
(v) without receiving any relevant subsidy for purchasing medical consumables for the stoma from other funding sources;
     and
(vi) living in the community, a residential care home or a boarding school; or
(vii) being hospitalised but with a concrete discharge plan.
 
     Starting from today, the SWD will issue letters (together with the application form) in phases for inviting applications from those who may fulfil the eligibility criteria. Eligible persons may approach the CCF Team of the SWD, Medical Social Services Units of public hospitals with Specialist Out-patient Clinics (Surgery), Stoma and Wound Care Clinics under the Hospital Authority, the Hong Kong Stoma Association, and two self-help groups of stoma patients of North District Hospital and Tuen Mun Hospital for the application form. The application form can also be downloaded from the SWD website (www.swd.gov.hk).
 
     Applicants are required to submit the completed application form together with all necessary documents by post or by hand to the CCF Team of the SWD on or before December 28, 2017. Upon completion of vetting, applicants will be notified of the application results in writing. The subsidy will be disbursed to eligible persons starting from the first quarter of 2018, at the earliest, on a quarterly basis.
 
     Details of the Pilot Scheme can be found on the CCF website (www.communitycarefund.hk) or the SWD website (www.swd.gov.hk). For enquiries, members of the public may call the CCF Team of the SWD on 3422 3090 during office hours.
 
Ends/Friday, September 29, 2017
Issued at HKT 15:00
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