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| Frustrated Cataract Patient in Hong Kong: Outdated Medical Rules Delay Urgent Eye Treatment. |
Imagine being told you have cataracts after a professional eye exam—only to be denied treatment at a public hospital because your referral didn’t come from a doctor.
This is exactly what happened to Mr. Chan (a pseudonym), a Hong Kong resident who reached out to a local news program for help.
Despite receiving a diagnosis from a licensed optometrist, his referral was rejected by the public hospital system, leaving him confused, anxious, and stuck waiting.
In Hong Kong, the shortage of medical professionals has put enormous strain on the healthcare system. Currently, to access public specialist clinics, patients must provide a referral letter issued by a registered medical doctor within the past three months.
But even though optometrists undergo five years of professional training and are certified, their referrals are not recognized.
Mr. Chan now faces the burden of either visiting a private doctor for a new referral or lining up again in the public system just to get the right paperwork.
The wait time for cataract surgery alone can exceed a year, and with his vision at risk, Mr. Chan says the system has made him feel helpless.
Professionals in the field argue that the current legal definition of optometrists, based on the outdated Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance, is too narrow.
This old regulation doesn’t reflect the advanced role of optometrists today—especially when their education and skills are already aligned with international standards.
Chan Man Bun, President of the Hong Kong Society of Professional Optometrists, says people still wrongly assume optometrists only make glasses.
In reality, the eyewear component is taught for just six months, while the rest of their five-year program focuses on understanding eye diseases, pharmacology, and clinical management.
In countries like Australia, optometrists can directly refer patients to ophthalmologists, creating a more efficient and patient-centered system.
The discussion isn’t new. Back in 2023, lawmakers questioned whether Hong Kong could follow the United States’ nurse practitioner model, where trained nurses are allowed to take on expanded roles and ease the burden on doctors.
But the government declined, citing concerns about disrupting the nurse workforce—effectively sidestepping deeper reform.
This resistance to change has led to what many see as “protectionist” policies, where professionals like optometrists are held back from practicing to their full potential.
As a result, patients like Mr. Chan are the ones paying the price through longer wait times and unnecessary hurdles.
Legislator Lam So-wai believes it’s time to make better use of trained healthcare professionals at the primary care level.
She points out that graduates from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s optometry program are qualified to handle screenings and basic assessments.
In fact, optometrists are already helping out in the “Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme,” where they screen diabetic patients for retinal issues and recommend follow-up care. The results have been promising.
Giving optometrists the authority to refer patients directly doesn’t just make sense—it’s essential.
It lightens the load on an overwhelmed public healthcare system and ensures early detection of vision-threatening diseases like glaucoma or cataracts, which can progress silently until it’s too late.
Hong Kong urgently needs to modernize its healthcare policies to reflect current realities.
Denying qualified professionals the right to help patients effectively doesn’t just delay treatment—it puts lives and sight at risk.
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