Expat Living reader ALAN LEE recounts a recent experience with Hong Kong healthcare, including a visit to a HK public hospital.
An unexpected 999 call
As a 30-something-year-old man, one thing that I never planned on experiencing when I moved to Hong Kong was having to be admitted into hospital. But a few weeks ago, just as I was going to bed, a sudden, sharp pain in my side had me curled up in the foetal position, sweating profusely and barely able to move an inch.
Reluctantly, I had to call for help. I dialled 999, and was calmly instructed to wait for an ambulance to arrive in around 10 minutes. What followed was a whirlwind experience in Hong Kong’s public hospital system that left me reflecting on how differently this could have played out if I were living elsewhere in the world.
After being whisked to A&E at the nearest hospital, I was triaged and seen by a doctor within a couple of hours. With the excruciating pain still present, this felt like it took half a day, but really I’m lucky I didn’t have to wait longer. A blood test, some strong painkillers, and an X-ray later, I was told that I had what seemed like a minor kidney infection and I would have to stay overnight whilst they monitored my condition. What they didn’t tell me was that I had to then wait for another four hours to move into the ward upstairs.
Putting my experience into perspective
During this time, I tried to think positively: I’m being attended to, somewhat quickly, by a team of professionals in a well-managed medical facility. In the UK, my friend’s elderly dad had to limp to the hospital himself after breaking a toe, then waited for more than twelve hours to be seen, only to then limp back home again after being seen briefly. In the US, from what my cousins tell me, waiting for a bed in a ward might take days. My four-hour hold-up in this public hospital in Hong Kong didn’t feel too bad in the grand scheme of things.
I ended up staying for two nights in the ward for observation and a course of IV antibiotics. After two full days of care: three meals a day, further tests, and all the medication, I was recovered and sent home, with a follow-up appointment in a few months. Having never been to a public hospital here before, I had no idea how much this would all cost me, but I had heard that it was relatively inexpensive. To my surprise, the total cost of my stay was just HK$420, including my stint at A&E and the ambulance ride. In the US, even with insurance, a two-night hospital stay could be a financial nightmare costing thousands of dollars.
It’s not perfect, but from my experience, public hospitals in Hong Kong deliver a smooth, professional and astonishingly affordable process. Lying in my own bed at home now, I feel incredibly lucky. Not just because I have fully recovered, but because I know that I live in a place where getting sick doesn’t mean having to choose between my health and my wallet.
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Alan’s article on his brush with healthcare in Hong Kong featured in our regular Parting Shot column in the print edition of Expat Living. Keen to contribute your own story? We’re looking for 500-word written contributions on any topic that touches on expat life in Hong Kong. Simply email your story in a Word document or the email body to editor@expatliving.hk and we’ll consider it for an upcoming issue. Also, if your piece successfully appears as the Parting Shot in an issue, we’ll give you HK$1,500!
This article on public hospitals and Hong Kong healthcare first appeared in Expat Living magazine. You can buy the latest issue or an annual subscription or read the digital version free now.
