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Subtheme 2.3 – A multi-pronged approach to advance primary healthcare
development is recommended. Key stakeholders repeatedly pointed out the urgent need
for a paradigm shift in our system: from a disease-centred medical care model to a primary
care-based, person-centred framework by enhancing the role of allied health and social care
professionals. Besides providing tailor-made treatment and management for individual
patients, primary care workers should also focus on providing services that cater to
local district-based demographics and specific needs. Some key stakeholders
considered the recent Government’s initiative of building DHCs in all 18 districts in Hong
Kong a good example of a district-based healthcare model.

Stakeholders’ voices

But if people cannot afford to see a private psychiatrist, what do they do?
They engage themselves in smoking, drinking and drug use, because that’s
the easiest, most affordable way to deal with mental health issues. And
therefore, I would strongly advocate for a person-centred approach that
you (OHKF) have proposed… Really person-centred, not disease-centred.

Academic

One of the strategies I always share with my colleagues
in the DHC is that we should know we are the ones who
have the best knowledge of the service provision in the
district. So that when the citizens come to the Centre,
and register as our members, we can help them to
navigate through all this.
NGO representative

But even if there are many family doctors, that does not translate
into a good preventive policy or service. Our (primary care
providers) transdisciplinary team of social workers, nurses,
pharmacists, dietitians, and physiotherapists can handle a lot of
these early care services and [prevent people from] a late stage of
presentation. We can promote health literacy, letting people
understand how they can prevent diseases. Then we have early
identification strategy so that they (patients) can have an early
intervention of disease management.
NGO representative

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