The history of medicine in Hong Kong began in 1887 at the Hong Kong Chinese College of Western Medicine, and over the past 100 years, it has produced many outstanding achievements. Hong Kong has always been highly recognized for its medical standards and is even expected to become a world-class medical hub.
Hong Kong's healthcare gets top ranking
According to the latest statistics, Hong Kong's average life expectancy for men is 80 years, the highest in the world, while that for women is 86 years, the second highest in the world, and is very close to that of Japan, which ranks first.
The infant mortality rate is also an important indicator of medical standards.
Hong Kong's infant mortality rate (under 5 years old) is 2 per 1,000, the lowest in the world, while the infant mortality rate of 3 per 1,000 is very close to that of Singapore, which has the lowest infant mortality rate.
In addition, Hong Kong has a very high cancer cure rate.
Hong Kong has some of the world's leading experts in curing cancer, and patients with breast, uterine, and prostate cancers, which are among the top 10 most common cancers in Hong Kong, enjoy a higher relative five-year survival rate than patients in Europe and North America.
The relative survival rate for breast cancer in Hong Kong was 89.8 percent, narrowly behind the United States by 0.2 percent. In the treatment of stomach cancer, it beat European and American cities with a five-year survival rate 13 percentage points higher. Hong Kong also leads the world in survival rates for the treatment of lung and uterine body cancers.
Hong Kong's one-year and five-year heart transplant survival rates were 85 percent and 80 percent, respectively, in 2007. By 2011, the one-year survival rate had improved to 92 percent, surpassing that of the United States.
Hong Kong's lung transplant medical technology is also among the best in the world, with one-year and five-year survival rates of 100 percent and 78 percent, respectively.
Having the best medical school
Hong Kong's first medical school, the University of Hong Kong Faculty of Medicine (HKUFM), was founded in 1887, and medical researchers from all over Asia traveled to Hong Kong to gain expertise in tropical medicine. In the 2010-2011 Clinical, Pre-Clinical and Health University Rankings, the Times Higher Education Institution ranked the HKU Faculty of Medicine 22nd, meaning it is uniquely placed in Asia.
Hong Kong's medical research output is equally pioneering in all fields. More than 140 papers from HKU's Faculty of Medicine have been widely cited in international journals, an achievement that puts it within the top 1% in the world. These research results have had a profound impact on major medical breakthroughs, such as the discovery of the use of the Chinese herb goji berry to alleviate the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, among others.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), another prestigious Hong Kong university, also has a strong medical research team and has made many important breakthroughs, such as the invention of new tools to detect kidney disease in people with type 1 diabetes. In April, Hong Kong's medical inventions took home three prizes among the 1,000 inventions on show at the 40th International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva.
Medical services are value for money
The highest medical achievement is to get the highest quality of medical services at the lowest cost. Hong Kong's per capita healthcare expenditure is one of the lowest in the developed world, at one-third of that of the United States, and two-thirds of that of the United Kingdom, but Hong Kong's standard of healthcare services is no less than that of these countries, or even better.
Patient satisfaction is extremely high
Surveys have shown that Hong Kong's public hospital services are highly praised by patients. In the "Patient Service Satisfaction Survey" released by the HA in 2010, it was pointed out that the satisfaction rate of the overall medical and healthcare services was as high as 80%, 95% of patients were satisfied with the facilities of the hospitals, and 88% of the patients said they had confidence in the quality of the medical staff.
So, what affects the standard of medical care is not only reflected in the medical skills of doctors, but also in the medical system. In the face of such an obvious gap, it is worthwhile for us to learn and learn from it.
There are therefore many cancer patients who choose to seek medical treatment in Hong Kong to get the best treatment plan. It is important to realize that Hong Kong's pharmaceutical market is in line with international standards, and anti-cancer drugs that can be purchased internationally are available in Hong Kong. Coupled with the strong authority of Hong Kong hospitals and the high standard of doctors, going to Hong Kong for medical treatment has become the best choice for people suffering from cancer.