Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee speaks at the Asia Summit on Global Health on Nov 10. (PHOTOS / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)

Hong Kong will restructure its healthcare system and publish a primary-healthcare blueprint by the end of this year as it works to provide more comprehensive basic healthcare services at the community level, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Thursday.

The government will continue to work on specific and dedicated plans to ensure major events and economic activities can be held smoothly, to bring a world of business back to Hong Kong quickly and safely, the city's Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said

He made his remarks when delivering a keynote speech at the second Asia Summit on Global Health. The two-day event on Thursday and Friday, which had the theme “Charting a New Course in Healthcare through Collaboration”, brought together about 21,000 business and academic leaders, investors, startups, policymakers and many healthcare professionals.

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Lee said the special administrative region government is working on restructuring the city’s treatment-centered, hospital-based public medical system into one that focuses more on preventing diseases and providing sustainable healthcare services for members of the community via district health centers. The government will also partner with the private medical sector to achieve the goal, Lee said.

Other key directions of healthcare development include ramping up efforts to attract leading medical overseas enterprises and professionals to the city, and investing additional resources to support local biotech research and development as well as medical education, Lee said.

He also said that since July, the government has made substantive progress in lifting COVID-19 restrictions while containing the number of confirmed cases. As a result, several flagship events, including the Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit and the Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament, were successfully held.

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The government will continue to work on specific and dedicated plans to ensure major events and economic activities can be held smoothly, to bring a world of business back to Hong Kong quickly and safely, Lee said.