'Grassroots Elderly Can't Afford Chinese Medicine'

A community group says many elderly people in Hong Kong struggle to pay for Chinese medicine when they need it, with a survey suggesting more than 90 percent delay receiving treatment for their ailments.

The Society for Community Organisation (Soco) on Tuesday said it interviewed 149 grassroots elderly people back in February.

It found that 60 percent of the respondents had visited a Chinese medicine practitioner in the previous three months. On average, these people spent more than HK$1,000 per month on Chinese medicine consultations and treatment, Soco said.

Ivan Lin, an organiser with the group, said many elderly people seek Chinese medicine treatment for bone, muscle or joint problems, with such services in greater demand since the pandemic began.

More than 80 percent of the survey respondents said it was difficult to make a booking at a government-subsidised Chinese medicine clinic.

Lin urged the authorities to increase the quotas for subsidised Chinese medicine clinics and to lower the consultation fee from HK$120 to HK$50, to bring it into line with the charge at general out-patient clinics.