Hong Kong's ageing population risks becoming an unsustainable burden for the people and the city if residents don't proactively seek ways to stay healthy, a recent health summit has warned.

The Build Well Live Well Summit held last month explored strategies to age well in Hong Kong, where nearly one in three residents is expected to be 65 or older by 2038.

One of the speakers was Dr Felix Lee of the GBA Healthcare Group, who said the cost of treating illnesses will go up exponentially as one ages.

To tackle this, he said there needs to be a paradigm shift in the way people approach healthcare.

"On average, you're spending about HK$20,000 below the age of 65 from a system point of view. And above the age of 65, you're spending about four times more."

He explained that this is why people need to move away from a "fee-for-service model" to what he called "outcome-based care", which takes the focus away from patients' symptoms, and emphasises their long-term well-being.

Lee, who runs a network of hospitals and clinics in the Greater Bay Area, pointed out that residents can consider tending to their healthcare needs by going across the border where medical costs are roughly one-third of Hong Kong’s.

"Maybe some of the procedures in which Hong Kong is so expensive should be done in the GBA, and then we can actually free up our resources, our expertise."

Bernard Chan, Chairman of Our Hong Kong Foundation and a director of Bumrungrad Hospital in Thailand, warned that longevity by itself is not good enough in a city where men and women have an average life expectancy of 82 and 88.

“The bigger issue today is not just living long, it’s can you live a good quality of life,” Chan said.

The key question, he pointed out, is affordability for both individuals and the city, and stressed that preparations to maintain a higher quality of life cannot wait until retirement.

“Preventive medicine is important. You can’t wait till you go to the hospital. It’s not good for the individual, and it’s not good for the city.”

He urged people to eat better, go in for regular check-ups, and make better use of primary healthcare services.



Edited by Aaron Tam