HONG KONG - More than 2,600 Hong Kong residents stranded in Guangdong and Fujian provinces have received medicines delivered by the SAR government under a program launched on Feb 24.
The special delivery came after a mandatory two-week quarantine order that aims to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus took effect for all arrivals from the mainland on Feb 8. Many residents living across the border have been unable to refill their prescription drugs through day trips to Hong Kong.
The program prioritizes Hong Kong patients whose medications are expected to run out by the end of April
Although their family members can collect drugs for them from clinics, they cannot mail the drugs to the mainland themselves due to legal restrictions, a government spokesman said on Friday.
The program prioritizes Hong Kong patients whose medications are expected to run out by the end of April.
Eligible drugs are limited to those considered in urgent need and prescribed by registered doctors for Hong Kong residents. Over-the-counter medications and traditional Chinese medicines are not included.
A total of 233 Hong Kong residents, mostly with chronic illnesses, who are stranded in Hubei province, where the novel coronavirus was first detected, had received their medications from the SAR government by Monday.
Most parts of the province were locked down with little public transport until very recently.
