60% of Hong Kong’s homeless plan to cut medical visits amid higher fees: survey

Nearly 60 per cent of homeless residents in Hong Kong plan to reduce medical visits in response to higher public medical fees introduced this year, a non-governmental organisation survey has found, with advocates urging authorities to introduce automatic waivers and simplify subsidy application procedures.Kenny Ng Kwan-lim, deputy head of programmes at Impact HK, a charity supporting the city’s homeless, said many street sleepers face numerous obstacles in applying for waivers due to their unstable living circumstances.“Even if their possessions have not been stolen, in the face of their health difficulties, it’s not easy for homeless residents to produce clear records [for applications],” Ng said.