Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau on Saturday announced that bodies could be kept in public mortuaries free of charge for up to 28 days, an extension from the three days initially proposed under a new fee scheme.

Lo's announcement comes after the Hospital Authority said last month that hospitals would begin charging HK$100 per day from January 1 for storing bodies starting from the fourth day, with the fee doubling from the 18th day onwards.

However, its plan sparked concern in the community and the funeral industry.

Lo stressed that the fee was intended to maintain quality service as storing bodies for a long period was difficult.

“The average length of time that bodies have been kept in public hospitals has steadily increased and now averages three weeks," he pointed out.

"In some cases, it even exceeds a month or more than a year. Preserving bodies for such long periods using refrigeration is quite challenging.

"We hope that this fee will guide the public to make better use of our medical resources, thereby improving our healthcare system."

Lo said the authority would hold a press conference at 1 pm to explain the improvement plan in details.