‘Silver tsunami’ predicted to swamp Hong Kong’s public hospitals
12-Sep-16, South China Morning Post
Hong Kong’s overburdened public hospitals will have to cope with a massive rise in patient admissions by 2041, with the number of inpatient days almost doubling, a study has predicted.
%20South%20China%20Morning%20Post.jpg "Silver tsunami predicted to swamp Hong Kongs public hospitals (c) South China Morning Post")
Image: South China Morning Post
Most of the increase will be due to a “silver tsunami” of ageing baby boomers – those born after the second world war – with the remainder the result of population growth.
According to the University of Hong Kong’s projection, the number of inpatient days will total 14.77 million in 2041, up from 8.21 million in 2012.
The elderly would account for 76 per cent of the increase in inpatient days by 2041, up from 62 per cent in 2022. Researchers called the rise “predictable but inevitable”.