Hong Kong residents migrating north for better healthcare

Hong Kong resident Cheung Yiu-fu is frustrated with the city's healthcare system and has been traveling across the border to Shenzhen in Guangdong province for dental treatment since June last year.

The border crossing, closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, opened in early January 2023 after the travel restrictions imposed to control the virus were eased.

"I have come to Shenzhen several times for teeth implant surgery. The quality of service is quite good, and the price is much cheaper than in Hong Kong," the 69-year-old said, adding that he has recommended the healthcare services across the border to six of his friends.

Cheung has also traveled to Guangzhou, the provincial capital of Guangdong, to see a doctor for treatment of heart disease after consultation at a Hong Kong hospital.

"The Hong Kong hospital told me that I would have to wait up to four years for the operation. In the Guangzhou hospital, the doctor arranged the operation for me at once," he said.

Seeing a doctor in a Hong Kong public hospital is difficult for many of the city's residents. The excessive burden on medical resources means lengthy waiting periods and unsatisfactory experiences for many of Hong Kong's 7.5 million inhabitants.

The migration northward for medical treatment, follows the trend of Hong Kong residents traveling to Shenzhen for dining, shopping and entertainment.

In total, more than 53 million trips were made by residents across the border last year, according to Hong Kong's Immigration Department.

To cater to the growing demand from Hong Kong, some medical institutions have launched shuttle buses at border checkpoints to transport patients to hospitals in Shenzhen. Others have opened online appointment channels to make the visits more convenient.