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Since early 2020, the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has imposed
unprecedented pressure on our public healthcare system. The HA suspended elective and
non-essential services to make way for pandemic management and other urgent clinical
services. To cover delayed treatments, the HA worked closely with the private healthcare
sector to implement extended PPP programmes that involve diverting patients from public
hospitals to private hospitals for treatments at current fees charged by public hospitals. This
expansion applied to both existing PPP programmes and new service areas deemed
necessary (Table 3.4).

Table 3.4

Expanded and New PPP programmes launched during the COVID-19
pandemic

PPP Planned Provisions, 2020–21
Colon PPP Surge Special 3,200 colonoscopies
Neonatal Phototherapy Service (NNJ) 160 patients

Radiation Therapy Service (RT) 105 patients
Cesarean Section Service (CS) 52 patients
Trauma Operative Service Collaboration Programme (Trauma 173 patients
Collaboration)

Breast Cancer Operative Service Collaboration Programme 140 patients
(Breast Cancer Surgery Collaboration)
Cystoscopy Collaboration Programme (Cystoscopy 724 patients
Collaboration)

Oesophago-Gastro-Duodenoscopy Collaboration Programme 2,800 patients
(OGD Collaboration)
Source: Legislative Council of the HKSAR, 2021

After the positive experience of launching pandemic-specific PPPs, the HA has reinforced
PPPs through incorporating this direction in its Framework of Annual Plan 2021–22 as a
strategy for optimising demand management (Table 3.5). The new service target of all
existing PPP programmes has increased from past years’ provision, rendering PPPs as an
important mechanism to be considered for long term development and sustainability of Hong
Kong’s health system.

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