Greedy Clinics Dupe Elderly On Voucher Scheme

Some clinics participating in the government's voucher scheme for the elderly are duping people, a watchdog has warned, with one man forced to buy two pairs of glasses that only differed in their frame colours.

Staff had claimed that one pair was for outdoors and the other to use at home.

The Consumer Council said on Thursday that after the man's daughter complained, the clinic involved agreed to reimburse the money for one pair.

But the woman insisted that the case be kept on record and should be publicised, to warn elderly people about such greedy clinics.

In another case the watchdog came across, one elderly patient was told that she couldn't pay consultation fees using the government voucher, even though the clinic had a label at its entrance saying it accepted the voucher.

The council said the clinic duped the woman by saying not every doctor at the clinic had joined the voucher scheme and it made her pay in cash.

The council's chief executive, Gilly Wong, said service providers should only charge the usual rate for patients using the government voucher. She urged people to be more careful and said if there is any doubt, they can call the helpline number 2838 2311.