Medical Care On Mega-bridge Worries Lawmaker

Civic Party lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki said on Friday that concerns over the standard of medical care on the mainland may deter some SAR drivers from using the future Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.

At a meeting of Legco's transport panel, the pro-democracy legislator said many Hong Kong residents may prefer to be sent back to the territory for treatment if they get into an accident or fall ill on the bridge.

He said that's because many people here aren't confident about the standard of healthcare on the mainland.

But the transport undersecretary, Raymond So, said the choice wouldn't be up to motorists. He said any person that had crossed the border would be handled by emergency personnel of the territory they found themselves in, and could not ask to be brought back to Hong Kong for treatment.

The official added that only in cases of serious emergencies may Hong Kong ambulances be deployed across the border to provide assistance.

Meanwhile, authorities also said motorists who want to use the bridge will have to get separate insurance policies for each territory they visit.

Lawmakers also said they wanted to visit the Zhuhai and Macau sections of the bridge, with the panel's chairman, Frankie Yick, saying authorities would work out the details with their mainland counterparts.