Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau on Wednesday said a cross-border ambulance service trial will be launched in the coming weeks, so people can be brought to Hong Kong for hospital treatment without having to change vehicles.

The service, for patients at either the Hong Kong University - Shenzhen Hospital or the Conde de São Januário General Hospital in Macau, will be available to people of any nationality.

According to government documents submitted to Legco, transfers can be arranged for those who can't receive the treatment they need on the mainland or in Macau.

Lo told reporters that demand for such services has increased, as more Hongkongers travel or retire in other parts of the country.

“The current arrangement is far from satisfactory, in a sense that patients have to change between the two ambulances across the border area, which sometimes will cause concerns with the quality of care and the safety of the patients,” he explained.

Welfare sector lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen and New Territories South East constituency lawmaker Connie Lam expressed support for the service, adding that it is important to consider the welfare of patients, regardless of their nationality.

However, Lam suggested that authorities should charge Hong Kong and non-Hong Kong patients differently for the ambulance transfer, to prevent abuse of the service.

“There must be a difference between the prices for Hong Kong residents and non-Hong Kong residents,” she said.

“[There] is actually a service gap between those districts in mainland China and Hong Kong. So, I think the price difference is very important.”

Lo said the Hospital Authority has its own pricing mechanism for non-local patients.