13 h. ago Hong Kong public hospital pricing reform slashes less urgent A&E visits by 24%

Hong Kong’s health minister has revealed that the number of less urgent patients seeking treatment at public hospital accident and emergency (A&E) departments has dropped by 24 per cent in the first 10 days of a new pricing regime. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau also said in a television interview on Saturday that authorities had so far approved 60,000 people for fee waivers, with about 80 per cent processed on the same day of application. Under a public hospital fee overhaul implemented on...

Politics

5 d. ago Man fights for life after jumping from Hong Kong flat following gas blast

A Hong Kong man is fighting for his life in hospital after jumping from his first-floor flat following a gas explosion that ripped through his home and blew out a window frame. Police said the man, 42, plunged to the ground after the blast around 6.40pm on Monday at an ageing residential building at 43 Pak Tai Street in To Kwa Wan. He remained conscious and was sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei, where he was listed as being in a critical condition on Monday night. A twisted metal...

Politics

7 d. ago Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority approves 85% of fee waiver requests on average

Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority has said it receives about 5,000 public medical fee waiver applications a day under a recent shake-up, with an average approval rate of around 85 per cent, following complaints from patients about complicated procedures. The authority released the numbers on Saturday, which showed that the approval rate for fee reductions at some public hospital clusters reached nearly 90 per cent, with patients issued a certificate on the same day they applied. “The Hospital...

Politics

8 d. ago Hong Kong hospital A&E department visits fall 12% after new fees take effect

Visits to accident and emergency (A&E) departments at Hong Kong’s public hospitals have dropped by nearly 12 per cent since a new pricing regime took effect, while the number of people benefiting from fee waivers has tripled. The Hospital Authority said on Friday that in the first week after the new fees regime was implemented on New Year’s Day it had seen a “significant decrease” in average daily A&E attendance, while more low-income families and underprivileged groups were being...

Politics

2 w. ago Most patients at Hong Kong A&E departments unaware of evening clinics as alternative

Most patients visiting Hong Kong emergency departments at public hospitals at night for minor ailments were not aware they could go to evening clinics instead, although securing a booking was difficult and multiple calls were needed before a successful slot could be confirmed. With a new fees regime in public hospitals kicking in on Thursday, authorities aimed to divert less urgent cases away from accident and emergency (A&E) departments, encouraging patients to visit public clinics for minor or...

Events

2 w. ago Hong Kong public hospitals’ emergency services run smoothly despite higher fees

Emergency services at Hong Kong’s public hospitals have operated smoothly on the first day of the new year despite raising fees for non-urgent cases, but some patients from minority groups said they were unaware of the changes. Starting on Thursday, New Year’s Day of 2026, patients visiting accident and emergency rooms at Hong Kong public hospitals with less urgent conditions will have to pay higher fees of HK$400 (US$50) per visit. Meanwhile, the fees for those classified as critical and...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong public hospitals run smoothly despite fee rise, but some unaware of change

Emergency services at Hong Kong’s public hospitals have operated smoothly on the first day of the new year despite raising fees for non-urgent cases, but some patients from minority groups said they were unaware of the changes. Starting on Thursday, New Year’s Day of 2026, patients visiting accident and emergency rooms at Hong Kong public hospitals with less urgent conditions will have to pay higher fees of HK$400 (US$50) per visit. Meanwhile, the fees for those classified as critical and...

Events

2 w. ago How are Hong Kong’s public hospitals handling the first day of fee changes?

Emergency services at Hong Kong’s public hospitals operated smoothly on New Year’s Day despite an increase in fees for non-urgent cases, but some patients said they were unaware of the changes. Starting on Thursday, patients visiting accident and emergency (A&E) departments at Hong Kong public hospitals with less urgent conditions will have to pay higher fees of HK$400 (US$50) per visit. Fees for those classified as critical and emergency cases will be waived. Previously, public hospitals...

Politics

2 w. ago Higher fees at Hong Kong hospitals spark confusion, calls to expand clinics

The first day of Hong Kong’s revamped pricing regime at public hospitals was marked by confusion and frustration, as some patients said they were caught off guard by the changes and complained about higher fees, even as authorities reported a smooth roll-out. Several patients urged the government to expand capacity at public clinics – the most affordable option for low-income residents, despite a threefold increase in fees under the reform – saying the persistent difficulty in securing...

Science

2 w. ago Hong Kong welcomes 6 babies into world in first hour of New Year’s Day

Three girls and three boys were born in Hong Kong’s public and private hospitals in the first hour of New Year’s Day. The CUHK Medical Centre, a private teaching hospital owned by Chinese University, delivered the city’s first baby of 2026 at 12am. The newborn is a boy and his family’s first child. Two minutes later, United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong delivered a baby girl, weighing 3.02kg (6.66lbs). Another baby, a boy, was born at Kwong Wah Hospital in Yau Ma Tei at 12.06am, weighing...

Politics

2 w. ago 6 patients spared higher fees as new hospital charges take effect in Hong Kong

Six patients visiting accident and emergency (A&E) departments at public hospitals in Hong Kong shortly after midnight were spared higher fees despite a new pricing regime taking effect on Thursday, while others said they had no choice but to pay more or opted to see private doctors instead. The revamped pricing regime, which took effect on New Year’s Day, requires patients with milder conditions and stronger financial means to pay higher fees, while offering greater support to those with more...

Science

2 w. ago 9 patients spared higher fees as new hospital charges take effect in Hong Kong

Nine patients visiting accident and emergency (A&E) departments at public hospitals in Hong Kong shortly after midnight were spared higher fees despite a new pricing regime taking effect on Thursday, while others said they had no choice but to pay more or opted to see private doctors instead. The revamped pricing regime, which took effect on New Year’s Day, requires patients with milder conditions and stronger financial means to pay higher fees, while offering greater support to those with more...

Science

2 w. ago Hong Kong hospital staff rally for Operation Santa Claus with active spirit

Doctors, nurses and students at HKSH Medical Group in Hong Kong set aside their clinical routines to join a day of physical activity and fundraising, inspiring all to “throw kindness and catch health”. The staff-led activity on December 19 formed part of HKSH OSC Month, a month-long fundraising campaign contributing to Operation Santa Claus (OSC) – a cause the group has supported for the 17th consecutive year. Awards were given to individual employees and teams across departments in recognition...

Politics

2 w. ago Let’s get physical: Hong Kong hospital staff rally for Operation Santa Claus

Doctors, nurses and students at HKSH Medical Group in Hong Kong swapped their clinical routines for a day of fitness and fundraising, inspiring all to “throw kindness and catch health”. The staff-led activity on December 19 formed part of HKSH OSC Month, a month-long fundraising campaign contributing to Operation Santa Claus (OSC) – a cause the group has supported for the 17th consecutive year. Awards were given to employees and teams across departments in recognition of taking part, teamwork...

Politics

3 w. ago Elderly man unconscious after being hit by HK$2.3 million Porsche in Hong Kong

An elderly man has been rushed to hospital in Hong Kong after being struck by a HK$2.3 million (US$295,900) Porsche sports car. Police said on Saturday they received a report at about 2.23pm of a private vehicle near the junction of Tai Kiu Road and Yuen Long On Lok Road that had apparently lost control and crashed into a man in his seventies. Emergency personnel were deployed to the scene and the man was rushed to Tuen Mun Hospital in an unconscious state, the force said. Information about the...

Economics

3 w. ago Hong Kong to deploy 1,000 hospital staff to guide patients through fee reform

Hong Kong public hospitals will deploy more than 1,000 service ambassadors to assist residents when healthcare reforms take effect next Thursday, with authorities saying the system revamp to accommodate the fee changes is entering its final stage. Director of Cluster Services Wong Yiu-chung said on Saturday that public hospital systems, including billing and dispensing, had been updated to reflect the adjusted fees aimed at addressing structural challenges in the healthcare sector. Under the...

Science

3 w. ago Hong Kong taxi driver hospitalised after crashing into school building

A 61-year-old taxi driver has been hospitalised in Hong Kong after her vehicle crashed through the back door of a school building in Kwun Tong, requiring fire services to extract her from the car. Police said they were alerted at 10.33am on Thursday that a cabby was injured and trapped inside her vehicle after crashing into the building of Delia Memorial School (Hip Wo) in Kwun Tong. “The driver did not show signs of having consumed alcohol during her breath test,” a force spokesman said. Online...

Events

4 w. ago Hong Kong teaching hospital investigates staff over viral ‘water fight’ video

A Hong Kong teaching hospital has launched an investigation after a viral video showed its medical staff using syringes as “water pistols” inside a ward. In a post on social media on Thursday, several staff were filmed squirting liquid at each other with syringes while their colleagues looked on. “Playing with water at the nurse station of [ward] K20N at Queen Mary Hospital,” an online user named hospital_secrets wrote when posting the video. “Using syringes as water pistols while they are on...

Events

4 w. ago Robbery suspect flees Hong Kong hospital barefoot, caught after taxi theft

A robbery suspect escaped police custody barefoot while being escorted for an X-ray scan at a hospital in Hong Kong, but he was rearrested hours later after stealing from a cabby while taxi hopping, the Post has learned. The 35-year-old suspect, surnamed Lam, was receiving stomach cancer treatment at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Jordan at around 11am on Friday when he escaped. He was escorted to get an X-ray scan by two police officers, both with around 20 years of experience in the force, when...

Events

4 w. ago Robbery suspect flees Hong Kong hospital barefoot but is caught after taxi rides

A robbery suspect escaped police custody barefoot while being escorted for an X-ray scan at a hospital in Hong Kong, but he was rearrested hours later after stealing from a cabby while taxi hopping, the Post has learned. The 35-year-old suspect, surnamed Lam, was receiving stomach cancer treatment at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Jordan at around 11am on Friday when he escaped. He was escorted to get an X-ray scan by two police officers, both with about 20 years of experience in the force, when he...

Events