Hong Kong public dental clinics fill quotas, but waiting list draws complaints
Switch to online booking system and waiting list arrangement aimed at easing appointment process, but some elderly patients still struggling with it
Quotas at some public dental clinics in Hong Kong were filled on Monday, the first day of operation using a waiting list introduced to combat absenteeism, but not all elderly residents were satisfied with the new arrangement.
Some retirees expressed concerns about the lack of computer literacy among many elderly people, despite health authorities offering help and assuring patients they would be informed of a waiting list opportunity through a phone call by the Department of Health.
The department said on Monday that three people on the waiting list, all aged 65 or older, were notified a day earlier of the available time slots and they arrived at the clinics before 8.30am for registration.
The usage rate at the public dental clinic in Kowloon City and Kennedy Town, the two facilities that offered services on Monday, was 102 per cent and 107 per cent.
Amy So, 60, a retiree who lives in Tsuen Wan, described the waiting list system as “better than nothing”, although she was worried the process was too rushed for elderly patients, who were expected to arrive within two hours of receiving a call to claim their slots on the waiting list.
“Do you expect us to stand by and wait for their call? No one would do that. It’s feasible if you happen to live nearby, but it’s like winning the lottery,” she said.
