Retiree Philip Kong, diagnosed with an enlarged prostate earlier this year, was initially scheduled to pay HK$210,000 (US$26,780) for surgery at Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital. However, a family friend who is a urologist suggested an alternative treatment option at the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital in Futian, Shenzhen.

This 2,000-bed clinical, teaching, and research facility, which opened in 2012, offered Kong a full examination including blood and urine tests for about HK$300, with an additional HK$20,000 for the standard inpatient procedure. Ultimately, Kong chose a "deluxe" package costing HK$60,000, which included a private room with a sea view and surgery performed by three "professor-grade" specialists.

Kong remarked, "It is a fraction of the cost, and treats you like a king," after exploring his options at the Shenzhen hospital. Despite being enrolled in Hong Kong’s Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme, the experience highlighted for him the urgent need for reforms in Hong Kong’s healthcare system as medical inflation increasingly prices out elderly patients.

This case illustrates the growing trend of Hong Kong retirees seeking affordable medical care across the border in Shenzhen, where costs can be significantly lower.

Sources