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I’m referring to the article from June 25 titled “Hong Kong’s trans teens battle with misunderstandings and pain as specialized healthcare is for over-18s only.”
I have joined the Gender Identity Clinic (GIC) as a patient. However, even after a referral, there are still many obstacles to overcome.
The Hospital Authority, which oversees the GIC at Prince of Wales Hospital, recently made contact with Quarks, a transgender organization. The ferment of this discussion is available online. I was particularly interested in the 47-week wait for psychotherapy and the 770-week physiology wait. That, in my opinion, is completely undesirable.
In late September 2022, I received a personal referral to the GIC. After a 54-week wait, I finally saw my physician at the first visit in the middle of October. A few weeks later, a clinical psychology appointment was scheduled, but endocrinology won’t be available until late July 2025, which would be 147 weeks (roughly three years) after my initial referral.
Similar obstacles exist for some transgender individuals I know to obtain affordable healthcare. While those with more money can visit doctors in private practice, those without it or without the support of their families may turn to the dark or black market, which is an unthinkable possibility in a highly developed culture like Hong Kong.
According to international standards, care for cases of gender dysphoria should start right away. It is anything but to have to wait about a year for psychology and 1.5 decades for physiology.
Even if the fourth medical school in the region opens today, it will be a while before the supply of doctors increases. In the interim, I propose a private-public partnership: the Hospital Authority could pay patients for other private care if the wait times are excessive, such as more than six months. As a result, patients may have fairly fast access to healthcare, albeit not through the public system.
Healthcare is certainly a luxury, and proper care is also not. Whether transgender or not, it’s a human right to live in dignity.
Sheung Shui, Hannah Kan
For cancer patients, this is a cheerful time.
As a trustee for the Cypress Charitable Trust, where we had been working to have Venetoclax—a medication for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)—covered by the safety net in the Hospital Authority Drug Formulary, I write to you with an abundance of gratitude.
On July 17, we were able to argue for this participation thanks to these sections. I’m happy to report that Venetoclax has been reclassified as a self-financed material covered by the security net in the most recent version of the Drug Formulary, which goes into effect on December 16.
It is a definite sign that our health authorities are open to discussion based on evidence and dedicated to improving patient care.
A ray of hope is this categorization. Importantly, Venetoclax acts as a vital time-buying agent for CLL patients. This period of time is crucial because it gives researchers a chance to create new therapies or enhance ones that already exist.
Our campaigning is consistent with our dedication to the health of the Leukemia community. Our letter’s inclusion in these sections serves as an illustration of the significant influence that compassionate news and advised campaigning can have on public health policies and, finally, personal life. Thank you again more.
Mike Cheung, Cypress Charitable Trust owner
Let’s not be alarmed by climate change.
According to your email authors, there is undoubtedly a significant we “must” would in Hong Kong.
We must take action, according to the letter titled “How Hong Kong may move up the fight against climate change” from December 21.
We have “important carbon emissions per capita,” according to your correspondent. Hong Kong emits 4.1 kilos per person annually, according to Our World in Data. This is lower than the global average (4.7) and roughly half of the emissions from mainland China (8.0). Owing to our use of nuclear power from the island and our switch from fuel- to natural gas-fired energy, our carbon emissions have decreased in recent years. According to Dr. Lam Ching-choi, the head of the Council for Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Development, we can advance further by purchasing more nuclear power from the island.
According to Observatory data, Hong Kong’s storm deaths only have decreased significantly since 1960 in terms of fatalities and injuries caused by weather events. This reflects comparable changes all over the world.
Despite the fact that a sizable portion of the Netherlands is now below sea level, they manage to control the ocean. We can learn how to be dry if they have.
I wholeheartedly support
increased nuclear power, renewable energy, and practical climate change mitigation strategies like better flood control.
But may we kindly put an end to our environment anxiety? Panic-based plans are scarcely wise ones.
Discovery Bay’s Peter Forsythe
