Doctors and Hospitals Facility in Hong Kong
Hong Kong has a good level of health care and the standards of doctors and hospitals are high. For further details pertaining to private and public hospitals please refer to the “Health Coverage” section.
A list of all qualified doctors can be found on the Hong Kong Doctors website http://www.hkdoctors.org. This can be searched according to the level of care you require and the type of practice. However if you have private insurance you will be supplied with a list of panel doctors who are associated with that particular insurance company. This list is periodically updated and can be obtained by fax from the insurance company.
Hong Kong’s health service is staffed by well-qualified local Chinese as well as Western doctors. Some expats have a preference for the later. The comfort may have to do with knowing someone completely understands them because most of the local doctors are foreign-trained and are as highly-qualified as Western doctors.
Private
The majority of private doctors have their own clinics and many of these offer appointments on very short notice. Generally, you will be seen within an hour or less, but take note of opening times displayed in the window of the doctor’s office. A straightforward consultation for a minor ailment will usually cost HK$200-$400, and will be inclusive of medicine. You will be presented with an invoice at the end of the consultation and you will be required to pay this in full immediately. If you have private medical insurance, you can then claim this back from your insurer.
It is important, however, that you ensure you use the services of a doctor that has been approved by your provider; a list of accepted practitioners is usually provided to you when the insurance is arranged. If you fall ill outside of normal hours of operation you can access the services of a doctor at any private hospital, the addresses of these can be found at http://www.dh.gov.hk/english/main/main_orhi/list_ph.html.
Public
Public doctors tend to use local hospitals to house their clinics. The location of the nearest doctor can be found on the Hong Kong Doctors website http://www.hkdoctors.org. Consultation fees range between HK$40 and $60, depending upon the level of service you require.
House Calls
Not all doctors provide emergency house calls and generally you need to to check the provisions for emergency help with your insurance provider as many medical plans do not include house calls by doctors and may require you to visit the emergency department of the nearest hospital. However, Hong Kong is also equipped with a mobile doctor service called Doctors Direct which provides home and hotel visits by a qualified medical practitioner. The service accepts calls and email appointments and, after a phone consultation, arranges for a home visit by the appropriate doctor. The service operates from 8am to midnight all seven days of the week. Some insurance plans do cover the fees charged by Doctors Direct and the service accepts credit cards as well a Pay Pal as mode of payment. The service can cover emergencies, routine preventative measures like diabetes monitoring and blood pressure checks as well as wound management. Many doctors employed by the service are bilingual and speak English.
Doctors Direct
http://www.doctorsdirect.com.hk/
Tel: 60171281/65060250
Hong Kong Emergency Medicine Center
This relatively new practice which is located in Central also offers emergency house calls along with in office visits and ambulance services. The charges for home visits charged by this practice are approximately three times the price of in office visits.
http://www.emchk.com/
24 Hour Hotline: 6511 8000
