GBA medical cooperation makes new progress in Nansha

The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou's Nansha district, was selected as one of the members to participate in the Elderly Health Care Voucher Pilot Scheme in Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Greater Bay Area on Feb 19.

The hospital plans to start and expand its related services later this year, after the selection process. To prepare for the scheme, it has established a service point for Hong Kong and Macao residents. The hospital has already established synergy with the scheme and completed relevant training.

The interior view of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. [Photo/WeChat account: gz_nanshafabu]

The Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme is a private primary care service first launched in Hong Kong. Its service targets elderly people aged 65 or above who are holders of a valid Hong Kong Identity Card or a Certificate of Exemption from Registration.

Each elderly individual who meets the eligibility requirements may receive healthcare vouchers with a monetary value of up to HK$2,000 ($255.78) annually. Any vouchers that remain unused during a given year may be carried forward and applied to subsequent years, subject to a maximum accumulation of HK$8,000.

The hospital's involvement in the program is a new achievement for the Greater Bay Area cooperation in Nansha. In recent years, Nansha has been promoting the direct settlement system for international medical insurance and encouraging more international medical insurance cooperation.

It aims to establish a cross-border transfer system that involves a third party to expand the number of designated hospitals, medicines, and devices under the "GBA Medicine and Equipment Connect" policy. The initiative aims to introduce more advanced medicines and devices from Hong Kong and Macao.