'Medical voucher scheme expansion gives more choice'
A local deputy to the National People's Congress and ophthalmologist Dennis Lam said the expansion of the medical voucher scheme in the Greater Bay Area would provide more options for patients and promote cross-border medical integration.  The government announced that elderly Hongkongers would soon be able to use their medical vouchers at seven more facilities in the Greater Bay Area, including at Lam’s dental clinic in Shenzhen. He operates eye hospitals and dental clinics across the border. Speaking to RTHK on the sidelines of the two sessions in Beijing, Lam said his clinic hopes to start accepting such vouchers from July.  “We will be preparing our staff to make sure that they can speak Cantonese. Of course, from the professional side, we will be having some training and education courses," he said. "So from the dentist to the dental hygienist and other supporting staff, we hope we are using a very similar system so that we can provide a really high quality service.”  Lam added that he thinks local doctors and dentists would not lose out to their mainland counterparts due to the expanded scheme, saying the standard of Hong Kong medical practitioners is very high, adding it's about giving patients greater flexibility and more choice. On plans to open a Hong Kong-style port hospital in Lo Wu in July, Lam hoped it would provide more affordable medical services and expected the facility would hire both Hong Kong and overseas staff.  “In terms of the fees and charges, because the rental and the overhead and the personnel, all these, they will be cheaper, so I think this will definitely be cheaper compared to the service prices in Hong Kong.”