However, the road to reform is very long and the community has to start the discussion early since the health system is there to serve them. We do not intend to rush through the reforms. That is why they are now put to public consultation. Subject to the public views received, we will phase out the implementation and will conduct regular evaluation and review. When we look at health care systems all over the world, we are not alone in search of a viable option towards achieving long-term sustainability.
Many factors contribute to the problem of financial sustainability.
First, the population is aging. This means that the future health care bills will on one hand become more expensive as more elderly require more intensive medical and rehabilitative services. But on the other hand, if there are inadequate retirement income protection, these bills will be borne by fewer people. New technologies are generally labour intensive and tend to be financially expensive. Lastly, community aspirations add further pressure to cost.