Dr CHEUNG Wai-lun is the Director of Strategic Purchasing Office & Project Director of the Chinese Medicine Hospital Project Office under Health Bureau of the HKSAR Government.  He is leading the development of strategic purchasing in procuring healthcare services from the private sector for driving better health of the community and enhancing sustainability of the healthcare system.  He is also responsible for the planning, development, designing, building and commissioning of the first Chinese Medicine Hospital in Hong Kong.
  
Dr. Cheung has excellent expertise in healthcare system & hospital management and broad exposure through his wide job portfolio from frontline clinician, hospital & cluster chief executive to the then Director in Cluster Services.  He had also been members of various government advisory committees, and with extensive experiences with outside commercial & non-government organizations, professional bodies, academic institutions, district councils, Legco & media.

Connectivity in Strategic Purchasing

Hong Kong’s healthcare system is widely recognized as one of the most efficient and effective in the world. Nevertheless, ensuring its long-term sustainability remains a significant concern. To enhance the current system, the Government has adopted a policy direction that leverages strategic purchasing as a tool to bridge the divide between the public and private healthcare sectors.

Through strategic purchasing, a suite of differentiated healthcare products—delivered via Strategic Purchase Programmes with varying levels of copayment and subsidy—will be developed. These programmes aim to expand patient choice and improve continuity of care, aligning more closely with individuals’ health needs, preferences, and financial capacities. Furthermore, strategic purchasing seeks to promote the appropriate use and provision of evidence-based healthcare services by both users and providers, thereby achieving more targeted health outcomes.

A critical success factor in the implementation of these programmes is the development of robust IT capabilities, particularly the interoperability between private healthcare providers and government IT infrastructure, such as the eHealth platform. To this end, a comprehensive strategy must be formulated to prepare, incentivize, and prepare private sector service providers in advancing their IT systems to achieving the required connectivity in ensuring both operational efficiency and sustainability.