Queen Mary (QMH) and Kwong Wah (KWH) hospitals are to become beneficiaries of a HK$15.4 billion redevelopment allocation in Wednesday’s budget. Financial Secretary John Tsang also announced a HK$10 billion injection into the Samaritan Fund, to simplify the application process and expand eligibility among medical patients.

Tsang said, “The redeveloped QMH will provide upgraded accident and emergency services and cardiology services.” The project will cost HK$7 billion with completion set for 2025.

KWH will undergo an HK$8.4 billion redevelopment, expected to be completed in 2022. “The redevelopment will revamp existing medical facilities and strengthen the hospital’s Chinese and western medicines shared care services, including Chinese medicine in-patient service”, said Tsang.

The recurrent expenditure on health in 2012-2013 will increase by 8 percent to nearly HK$45 billion, with total expenditures estimated at HK$59 billion.

Nelson Wat Ming-sun, chief executive at KWH, welcomed the plan. He said every measure will be taken to minimize the affects on patients. Emergency services will be maintained during the redevelopment.

Anthony Wu Ting-yuk, chairman of the Hospital Authority, called the redevelopments timely and encouraging.

The new budget also provides allowances for patients who apply to the Samaritan Fund after a means test. The fund aims to assist patients in financial need.

The government anticipates about 2,300 patients will benefit from the fund, including the 1,300 who already receive partial subsidies under the scheme.

Under the new scheme, an allowance, ranging from HK$193,000 to HK$636,000, will be deducted from the assessed value of the family’s disposable assets, depending on the number of family members.

The HK$10 billion injection is unprecedented. The last three injections amount to HK$1.51 billion in total.

Patients’ rights advocate Tim Pang Hung-cheong of the Hong Kong Society for Community Organization said the measures will help middle class households.

“More middle class families will fall into the safety net,” said Pang.

Chairman of Alliance of Patient Mutual Help Organizations Tsang Kin-ping welcomed the proposal but said the benefit will only be “short-lived”.

“I hope the next term of the Chief Executive will consider increasing the recurrent expenditure on healthcare from 5 to 7 percent of GDP over the next five years,” Tsang said.