The pressure on specialist outpatient clinics in Hong Kong's public medical system is increasing, and the waiting time for some specialist surgeries is more than annual. In the past six months, due to the need to concentrate resources to deal with the epidemic, some non-emergency surgeries need to be postponed, which has even increased the waiting time for certain specialized surgeries. In fact, for some minor surgeries, citizens can choose to receive treatment in a day medical center.
Day procedure centresare very common in the western countries, and they are getting more popular in Asia in recent years. Day procedure centres refer to the centres that carry out minor procedures such as endoscopy或白內障摘除手術等；由專科醫生在醫院或診所進行，根據政府訂明的守則及指引，為病人提供安全及有效的療程，過程中病人不需要住院，可根據需要即日回家休息或進行其他日程，讓時間分配更為方便及有彈性。隨着時代及技術的進步，日間醫療中心不但駐有專業的專科醫生及專屬的醫療團隊，並備有現代化及設備齊全的手術室，其設施更能夠媲美醫院的質素。費用方面，由於一般的日間醫療中心不設住院費及相關雜費，故此整體費用通常比需要住院的私家醫院低，市民可更有預算。
日間醫療中心服務逐漸普及化，不單有助減低公營醫療系統的壓力，更可加快療程，讓病人免受病患的折騰。近年不少醫療計劃均會賠償日間醫療中心的費用，就連政府推行的自願醫保計劃亦涵蓋在醫院日症室及診所進行的手術。有需要的市民可以與自己的專科醫生了解以盡快獲得適切的療程。
Source: Headline daily
