Nearly half of bosses urge greater private sector involvement in healthcare

They believe this can enhance services particularly for the elderly.

Almost half (46%) of business executives call for greater private sector participation and expertise to further develop Hong Kong’s healthcare system especially for the elderly, according a report from KPMG China.

A Census and Statistics Department report warns that Hong Kong’s ageing population is projected to balloon to over a fourth (26.4%) of the population by 2036.

Although the survey revealed that over half of executives believe that the region’s healthcare system is better than other developed cities, the survey revealed that there is room for improvement especially in greater use of technology for record-keeping.

Interestingly, a considerable number (45%) believe that a cultural collaboration between Chinese and Western medical treatments is necessary that pools their combined expertise to fast-track the city’s healthcare development.

Building a higher number of healthcare infrastructure like hospitals (41%) and clinics (38%) is also key.

The government is already taking all these concerns into account with the formulation of the Smart City Blueprint which aims to adopt a smart hospital city programme by 2020 amongst other digital initiatives to enhance the city’s healthcare system.