Government announces extension of Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme to cover all nine Mainland cities in GBA
The Government announced today (May 2) the extension of the Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme to include 12 additional medical institutions in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), with a view to offering more convenience for eligible Hong Kong elderly persons to use Elderly Health Care Vouchers (EHCVs) in the GBA. The number of pilot medical institutions under the Pilot Scheme will be significantly increased from the current seven to 19, covering all the nine Mainland cities in the GBA. Together with the two existing service points operated by the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH), a total of 21 service points in the GBA will be allowed to use EHCVs, benefitting more than 1.78 million eligible Hong Kong elderly persons.
All the 12 medical institutions newly included in the Pilot Scheme (see Annex for details) are Tier III Class A hospitals providing integrated healthcare services (including dental services). They are:
GBA city
Name of medical institution
Guangzhou
Guangdong Clifford Hospital
Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine
Shenzhen
(including the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Co-operation Zone)
Shenzhen Hospital of Southern Medical University
Peking University Shenzhen Hospital
Zhuhai
The FifthAffiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University
Zhuhai People’s Hospital
Foshan
The First People’s Hospital of Foshan
The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University
(Previously: Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University)
Huizhou
Huizhou Central People’s Hospital
Zhongshan
Zhongshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Jiangmen
Jiangmen Central Hospital
Zhaoqing
The First People's Hospital of Zhaoqing
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, said, "The main purpose of implementing the Pilot Scheme is to offer more convenience and flexibility for eligible Hong Kong elderly persons by providing more service points for them to better use their EHCVs for primary healthcare services to improve their health. The service points of the Pilot Scheme are meticulously planned to extend to GBA cities that are not yet covered, namely Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing, as well as to set up additional service points in the GBA cities that are already covered. The extension of the Pilot Scheme also includes Chinese medicine hospitals for the first time to provide eligible elderly persons with additional choices in healthcare services.
"I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Health Commission of Guangdong Province (GDHC) and the health authorities of relevant cities for providing us invaluable advice and tremendous help on selecting suitable medical institutions and the regulations relevant to the monitoring of healthcare quality and fee level, among others, during the implementation of the Pilot Scheme."
The Chief Executive's 2024 Policy Address announced the extension of the Pilot Scheme to cover nine Mainland cities in the GBA last October. The Health Bureau (HHB) and the Department of Health (DH) have thereafter promptly taken forward the relevant work proactively, including seeking advice and recommendations from the GDHC, inviting medical institutions to briefing sessions, and conducting site visits.
The service scope eligible for claims for the EHCVs at medical institutions under the Pilot Scheme will be largely the same. The arrangements for shared use of EHCVs between spouses and the EHCV Pilot Reward Scheme are also applicable. Moreover, eligible elderly persons have to register with eHealth. The "Cross-boundary Health Record" and "Personal Folder" functions of the eHealth mobile application will also be applicable to the medical institutions under the Pilot Scheme, with a view to offering convenience for Hong Kong citizens to self-carry their electronic health records for cross-boundary uses.
To ensure the proper use of public money, the DH adopts a robust monitoring mechanism for checking and auditing EHCV claims, including routine checking, monitoring and investigating in respect of aberrant transactions, and investigations into complaints. In the monitoring issues and investigations of the Pilot Scheme, apart from the above measures, the DH has established a mechanism with the health authorities of the Mainland, through which the health authorities of the Mainland will provide assistance to the DH when necessary, with a view to enhancing its monitoring capabilities and ensuring the proper reimbursement of EHCV claims to the participating medical institutions under the Pilot Scheme.
The HHB and the DH are working on the follow-up arrangements with various new pilot medical institutions, such as personnel training, financial arrangements and system configuration. It is expected that the new pilot medical institutions will gradually launch the relevant arrangements by the fourth quarter of this year.
Launched by the Government in 2009, the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme (EHVS) currently subsidises eligible Hong Kong elderly persons aged 65 and above with an annual voucher amount of $2,000 (with the accumulation limit set at $8,000) for them to choose in their own community private primary healthcare services that best suit their health needs. The Government launched the Pilot Scheme last year to extend the coverage of EHCVs to suitable medical institutions in the GBA. As at September of the same year, the coverage of EHCVs has been extended to seven integrated medical/dental institutions located in Guangzhou, Zhongshan, Dongguan and Shenzhen.
Members of the public may refer to the EHVS website (www.hcv.gov.hk) or call the hotline (2838 2311) for more information on EHVS.
Update on chikungunya fever
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health announced that, as of 5pm today (January 11), no new cases of chikungunya fever (CF) had been recorded.
Latest surveillance data
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Hong Kong has recorded a total of 82 confirmed CF cases last year. Among them, 11 were local cases, and the rest were imported cases.
Since the beginning of 2025, and as of December 10, 2025, a total of 502 264 CF cases and 186 CF-related deaths have been reported in over 40 countries/territories. Cases have been reported in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Although the northern hemisphere has entered the winter season, temperatures in subtropical and some temperate regions remain elevated due to climate change, creating favourable conditions for mosquito breeding. In addition, CF outbreaks continue to occur in many countries worldwide. The risk of imported cases persists. Members of the public should check the situation of the destinations before travelling abroad, especially when travelling to Southeast Asian countries.
Government's comprehensive follow-up actions
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Given that some local cases of CF have visited the Tsing Yi Nature Trails or the surrounding area in November last year, the trails are currently closed until further notice. Relevant government departments continue to conduct large-scale mosquito control and prevention efforts along the trails, and the CHP appeals to the public not to enter the area in order to reduce the risk of contracting CF and to avoid exposure to chemicals or interfering with the mosquito control operations. Since the confirmation on December 10, 2025, of a case involving a person who had visited the Tsing Yi Nature Trails on November 30, 2025, no further local cases have been recorded to date. The CHP continues to urge individuals who have recently hiked along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails to seek medical attention as soon as possible if they develop relevant symptoms and to call the enquiry hotline (Tel: 2125 2373), which operates from 9am to 6pm.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has been continuously conducting intensive fogging operations to eliminate adult mosquitoes along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails and the surrounding area. At suitable locations, large ultra-low volume foggers have been deployed, and a robot dog is being put on trial to enhance operational effectiveness. The FEHD has also set up new mosquito trapping devices, cleared discarded containers and garbage that could cause stagnant water, and applied larvicide oil or larvicides in areas with stagnant water that cannot be removed immediately. The FEHD has been collaborating with the Kwai Tsing District Office, the Lands Department and the Drainage Services Department to strengthen efforts in eliminating potential mosquito breeding sites along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails. Pamphlets have been distributed to hikers in the area, urging citizens to be vigilant against mosquito infestations and take personal protective measures. The FEHD has also held meetings of the interdepartmental task forces on anti-mosquito work across districts to discuss the latest developments regarding the situation and plan accordingly to co-ordinate relevant departments and stakeholders in strengthening mosquito prevention and control measures in areas under their purview.
Continuously strengthening prevention and control
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The FEHD and relevant departments have comprehensively enhanced the mosquito control operations in Hong Kong since July last year, and this has continued. Among these, the FEHD has conducted vector investigations and targeted mosquito control operations against the imported and local cases. In light of the local case, the FEHD has immediately conducted follow-up actions, including:
carrying out intensive fogging in scrubby areas within a 250-metre radius of the relevant locations to kill adult mosquitoes;
carrying out inspections of the locations, removing stagnant water, applying insecticides and disposing of abandoned water containers every week with a view to preventing mosquito breeding; and
enhancing public education efforts through organising health talks, setting up mobile education stations, and distributing publicity leaflets.
The abovementioned measures will be continued. Furthermore, the Government will further enhance the mosquito control efforts in addition to the existing measures.
Preventive measures to be taken by the public
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Members of the public should use DEET-containing insect repellents or other effective active ingredients properly to prevent mosquito bites, but the following precautions should be taken when using them:
read the label instructions carefully first;
apply right before entering an area with a risk of mosquito bites;
apply on exposed skin and clothing;
use DEET of up to 30 per cent for pregnant women and up to 10 per cent for children (for children who travel to countries or areas where mosquito-borne diseases are endemic or epidemic and where exposure is likely, those aged 2 months or above can use DEET-containing insect repellents with a DEET concentration of up to 30 per cent);
apply sunscreen first, then insect repellent;
reapply only when needed and follow the instructions; and
in addition to DEET, there are other insect repellents available on the market containing different active ingredients, such as IR3535 and picaridin. When using any insect repellent, the public should follow the usage instructions and precautions on the product label.
The FEHD also appeals to members of the public to continue to stay alert and work together to carry out mosquito prevention and control measures early, including inspecting their homes and surroundings to remove potential breeding grounds, changing water in vases and scrubbing their inner surfaces, removing water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week, and properly disposing of containers such as empty cans and lunch boxes. The FEHD also advises members of the public and property management agencies to keep drains free of blockage and level all defective ground surfaces to prevent the accumulation of water. They should also scrub all drains and surface sewers with an alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.
The public should call 1823 in case of mosquito problems, and may visit the following pages for more information: the CF page of theCHPand theTravel Health Service, the latestTravel Health News,tips for using insect repellents, and the CHPFacebook Page,Instagram AccountandYouTube Channel, and also theMosquito Prevention and Control dedicated pageof the FEHD.
Source: AI-found images
