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Increasing popularity of day case procedures
Hospitalisation isn't required for more flexible treatment

There's increasing pressure on specialist outpatient clinics in Hong Kong's public healthcare system, and the waiting time for some specialist surgeries is more than a year. In order to focus resources on the epidemic over the past 6 months, many non-emergency surgeries were delayed, which further extended waiting times. However, you can also choose to receive some minor surgeries at a day case centre.

Day case procedures are very common in most Western and Asian countries and are becoming more popular in Hong Kong nowadays. The term “day case procedures” usually refers to a minor surgery such as endoscopy or cataract removal, which is performed by a specialist in hospital or a clinic. Specialists are required to follow rules and guidelines developed by the government to provide safe and effective treatment for patients. Patients don’t need to be hospitalised after day case procedures. They can return home or even schedule other activities on the same day, so as to better manage their time. With advances in technology, day case centres are now staffed by a team of experienced specialists and dedicated health professionals. They also offer modern and well-equipped operating rooms. In terms of cost, as there’s no hospitalisation fee or related miscellaneous costs, the overall expenses are lower than surgeries which require hospitalisation.

The increasing popularity of day case procedures not only helps to reduce pressure on the public healthcare system, but it also shortens treatment times so that patients can recover more quickly. In recent years, different medical insurance plans have included coverage for the costs of day case procedures. Even the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) started by the Hong Kong government covers treatments performed in a clinic or day case unit of a hospital. People in need should talk to their own specialist to get appropriate treatment as soon as possible.

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