With the acceleration of the integration of Hong Kong and Shenzhen, more and more Hong Kong people choose to seek medical treatment in the north.
The reporter learned that at present, there are 5,201 medical and health institutions (excluding 640 non-independent community health service centers) and 151 hospitals in Shenzhen for diagnosis and treatment services, and "flat price, fast speed, and close distance" have become the biggest factor for them to choose Shenzhen for treatment, and a hospital near Luohu Pass alone receives nearly 40,000 Hong Kong people a year.
One stop away, one day to see a doctor
1 km walk, 1 subway station, 7 minutes by taxi...... A few days ago, we visited the People's Hospital of Luohu District, Shenzhen, which is the closest to the port. Due to its proximity to the Lo Wu Port and the Man Kam To Port, Hong Kong people can go to the hospital "silky" after crossing the border. Stepping into the outpatient department of the hospital, I heard several Cantonese-speaking patients asking the staff about the relevant procedures, and Liu Hui, the head nurse of the outpatient department, picked up the patients' mobile phones and taught them the operation hand in hand: "Fill in your name and Hong Kong and Macau pass number here to successfully bind." ”
The entrance of Luohu District People's Hospital in Shenzhen. (Photo courtesy of the hospital)
Many of the people who came to inquire were Hong Kong and Macao patients. Liu Hui told reporters that this place is close to the port, and many Hong Kong patients come and go every day, and the hospital is also equipped with medical staff who understand Cantonese to explain to them at any time, so that doctors and patients can better communicate. "Some older patients don't know how to use their phones, so we take them to the window for manual processing. Liu Hui said that according to on-site observations, most of the Hong Kong and Macao patients who came to Luohu Hospital for treatment were young or middle-aged, and the elderly were rare.
We followed the footsteps of the head nurse and shuttled through various departments of the hospital, and found that the stomatology, ultrasound, and reproductive departments were the most popular. Arriving at the ultrasound department, Xiong Yi, executive director of Shenzhen Luohu District People's Hospital, said that he would see many pregnant women in Hong Kong every week, because Hong Kong private hospitals are more expensive to do examinations. He mentioned that the projects for prenatal check-ups done by mainland hospitals are very detailed, and the most important thing is that the price is less than one-third of that of private hospitals in Hong Kong, which is very cost-effective.
Ms. Wu, a Hong Kong resident who came to do ultrasound examinations, told reporters that she needed to schedule an appointment for ultrasound examination or surgery in a public hospital in Hong Kong for several months or even years, while in a mainland hospital, the appointment cycle is short, and the process of consultation and examination is also smooth. "It's very close to my Hong Kong real estate company, so I chose to come here for treatment. Ms. Wu said.
The lobby of the outpatient department of Shenzhen Luohu District People's Hospital. (Photo courtesy of the hospital)
Hong Kong people have a preference for seeing a doctor in the north
Passing through the ultrasound department to the downstairs, there is the hospital's popular stomatology department. Cao Weiling, vice president of Shenzhen Luohu District People's Hospital, introduced to us that in order to provide more convenient and professional diagnosis and treatment services, the hospital has specially launched the "Hong Kong and Macao Residents Dental Clinic", which mainly provides services for Hong Kong and Macao residents, and has received 1,000 Hong Kong and Macao residents in the first quarter of this year.
The hospital launched the "Hong Kong and Macao Residents Dental Clinic" for Hong Kong and Macao residents. (Photo courtesy of the hospital)
According to reports, the Department of Stomatology has specially established a Hong Kong and Macao doctor-patient communication group, where patients can not only make an appointment for follow-up time in the group, but also raise relevant questions, and medical staff will provide follow-up services for diagnosis and treatment and maintain close communication with patients. Ms. Liang, who has just seen the consultation, told us that she has come to Luohu Hospital for follow-up visits several times and is very satisfied with the service: "The doctor usually keeps in touch with us, and if I have any questions that I don't understand, I can ask them directly online, and I can get a satisfactory answer immediately." ”
The specialist descriptions and related guidelines in the "Dental Clinics for Hong Kong and Macao Residents" are in traditional Chinese. (Photo courtesy of the hospital)
The reporter also learned that from January 2023 to March 2024, the number of outpatient emergency visits and 748 inpatient visits for Hong Kong residents in Luohu District People's Hospital will be 44,800. Overall, in the past five years, the hospital has received an average of 38,000 visits per year for Hong Kong residents in Shenzhen, with the most visited departments being stomatology, gastroenterology, reproductive medicine, gynaecology and dermatology.
Hong Kong-style services facilitate Hong Kong people to seek medical treatment
Different from the Luohu District People's Hospital, where there are many young and middle-aged Hong Kong patients, the Hong Kong people who seek medical treatment at the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital are mostly elderly.
In the lobby, there is a "special window for the elderly over 60 years old, pregnant women, people with disabilities, and Hong Kong health care voucher patients", and several Hong Kong elderly people who speak Mandarin fluently and are on crutches walked up to ask the staff how to get the number and queue.
Guidance in the Outpatient Medical Technology Building of the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital. (Photo by Xu Lezhao)
In front of the lobby, several LED screens and a consultation desk with several large characters came into view, and three or two elderly couples and several middle-aged people lined up under the big words "Hong Kong Hospital Authority Support for the Pilot Patient Programme for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area", waiting for the front desk lady to answer their questions. During the observation, they were often asked about the use of the "Hong Kong Hospital Authority Pilot Scheme on Support for Patients in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area" (hereinafter referred to as "the Pilot Scheme") and the "Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Elderly Health Care Voucher Pilot Scheme" (hereinafter referred to as "the vouchers").
Patients queue up at the information desk for consultation. (Photo by Xu Lezhao)
Seeing that the front desk lady was too busy, several patients walked to the side under the LED screen to read carefully, which wrote the process of participating in the pilot program or using health care vouchers. The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital has set up a "service area" for Hong Kong and Macao patients, and clear guidance for Hong Kong and Macao patients can be seen everywhere at the guidance desk, lobby window and every corner of the hospital.
Image source: Internet
It is learnt that the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital is the only hospital in Shenzhen to receive eligible patients under the Pilot Scheme, who can reimburse up to RMB2,000 per year for medical expenses covered by the Scheme and general outpatient services. The "health care vouchers" are also applicable to the hospital, and the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital often has Hong Kong elderly people visiting the hospital, most of whom are mainly participating in the two schemes.
There are a number of "dedicated windows" in the outpatient medical technology building. (Photo by Xu Lezhao)
During the observation, we found that an elderly man had poor eyesight and handed his mobile phone to the staff to help with the relevant procedures. Unlike other elderly people, he did not ask questions about how to apply for the "Pilot Scheme" and "Health Care Vouchers", and seemed to be familiar with various processes. After getting the uncle's consent, we talked with him while walking, we were worried that he would be distracted and couldn't find the way to the department, the old man said confidently: "Don't worry, I know the way, Cheng Ri!" I learned that the uncle's surname is Zhao, he has lived in Shenzhen for many years, and he has come to the University of Hong Kong Hospital for treatment if he has any discomfort, and he has long been familiar with the treatment process and the location of the department floor. Asked if he would choose to go back to Hong Kong to see a doctor, he quickly shook his head: "The medical conditions here are so good, why should I go back to Hong Kong to see a doctor?" Zhao Bo's words revealed his trust and satisfaction with the hospital.
Photo source: GDETO of the HKSAR Government.
The Hong Kong SAR government currently provides welfare programs such as "pilot schemes" and "health care vouchers", which provide outpatient medical convenience for Hong Kong people living in Shenzhen or surrounding cities. One patient who lives in Luohu expressed his hope that more hospitals in Shenzhen would join the Hong Kong government's "Pilot Scheme" and "Health Care Voucher" schemes, so that they would have more options to seek medical treatment in the north and go to the nearest hospital.
Hospital staff said that at present, welfare schemes such as the "Pilot Scheme" and "Health Care Voucher" do not cover hospitalization expenses, and some patients often come to ask whether they can enjoy preferential policies for hospitalization, and the answer is that hospitalization needs to be fully paid for out of pocket.
Many Hong Kong patients waited in the lobby to be called. (Photo by Xu Lezhao)
At present, social media is full of various hospital registration strategies and traffic guidelines of major hospitals, which undoubtedly proves that Hong Kong people have become a craze to be underestimated in the north for medical treatment. In the future, we look forward to further cooperation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen in the medical field, providing more professional and convenient "one-stop" health services for residents of the two places, and contributing to the in-depth integration and development of Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
Reporter: Xu Lezhao Video Zhao Shiyue
Editor: Luo Weiwei
Proofreader: Zhuo Ling
审核:Oriole
Executive Producer: Yushan