Outpatient services for Hong Kong’s first hospital dedicated to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) will start at HK$180 (US$23.10) per visit, with the operator describing the fees as both affordable and competitive.

The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong in Tseung Kwan O also said on Wednesday that staff recruitment had been smooth and there would not be any manpower shortages affecting its launch on December 11.

Dr Cheung Wai-lun, project director of the Chinese Medicine Hospital Project Office of the Health Bureau, said 65 per cent of the services would be subsidised, making them affordable and accessible to all residents. The remaining 35 per cent will operate on a market-oriented basis.

Compared with other providers, the subsidised services were priced at about one-tenth to one-third of the market rate, Cheung said at a press conference.

“Hong Kong’s residents can truly benefit from this affordable service,” he said.

Located on Pak Shing Kok Road, the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong will open in phases. It is owned by the government and run by Baptist University on a public-private partnership model.