A government-led primary healthcare scheme has found that about 40 percent of participants who took part in screenings for chronic diseases were diagnosed with pre-diabetes, myelitis, and hypertension, 10 percent more than expected.

Speaking on a Commercial Radio programme, Pang Fei-chau, commissioner for primary healthcare in the Health Bureau, said the authorities have commissioned the University of Hong Kong to study the issue and come up with measures to remedy the situation.

“Based on the previous population health survey as well as our internal data analysis, [what] we've anticipated about 30 percent, but we had 40 percent [of] people who have this diagnosis.

He said this was the reason that officials wanted academics in Hong Kong to look into the matter, Pang said.

His remarks came as he noted that about 20,000 people had been screened under the Chronic Disease Co-Care (CDCC) Pilot Scheme - out of a total of 35,000 residents who have signed up for the scheme’s body checks, which was more than expected.

He said most of the participants were aged between 45 and 64, and the majority were female. Pang hoped more males could also join the scheme.

“Sometimes, if you ignore healthy lifestyles, it's a contributing factor to the high prevalence of chronic diseases,” Pang again stressed, adding that they will enhance health education at district health centres as well as companies that have more male staff, such as the MTR where 80 percent of staff are males.

The commissioner also noted that over 500 doctors have participated in the scheme so far, 100 more than when the scheme was first launched.

He said 70 percent of them are charging less than the HK$150 maximum co-payment fee that the government had suggested.

The scheme, which was launched last November, aims to ramp up screening services at the grassroots level, prevent chronic diseases at an early stage, and encourage more “family doctors” to join in to provide personalised primary health care.

Pang said the development of these schemes may involve new partnership models between the public and private sectors.