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Life Solutions
Tel: 2778 3282
www.lifesolutions.com.hkIn home filtration systems
Water — Beaches
Thewater istested every twoweeksandwarnings areposted ifbacteria levels arehigh.These
arepublishedinthedailypapers.Swimming inpollutedwaterwithhighbacteria levelscan result
in complaints of diarrhea; and gastrointestinal, skin or ear, nose and throat—and in some cases
hepatitis A—infection.
Wet Markets
Fresh FruitandVegetables—Fresh fruit and vegetable stalls abound on the streets of Hong
Kong.Wash all fruit and vegetables and always peel when possible. For salad vegetables soak in
asolutionofbottledwater andsaltbefore rinsing inbottledwater.
Meat and Fish—Wet markets sell fish and un-refrigeratedmeats,which can be questionable.
Local meat and poultry is not always inspected so it is advisable to rinse themwith water.Meat
purchased in expatriate grocery stores is usually a better purchase. Meat imported from Australia,
NewZealand and the USA is also available fromexpatriate grocery stores and many home
delivery online food suppliers – see Page 31 for options.
Hospitals
TheHongKongGovernmentrunsseverallarge,well-equippedhospitalsaswellasoutpatient
clinics and 24-hour emergency departments. However, these public hospitals, while providing
qualitymedical care,may nothave private roomsavailable.Please note that ifyou dial 999 for
an ambulance,youwill be taken to the nearest public
facility.Ifyouwish to be taken to a private
hospital, make your request to the ambulance driver.
The costoftheGovernmentrunhospitalswillvaryifyoudonotcarryaHongKong Identitycard.
For privateattendance youmustspecify thatyouwanttobe taken toaprivate facility.
Medical Insurance
Medical costs can be high in Hong Kong and are often required to be paid up front. It is best to
clarify charges before they are incurred. Medical insurance is often included in an expatriate
employment package. Private and public care is available. Public care costs are often significantly
lower than private care.
The most popular hospitals used by expatriates are Adventist, Canossa and The Matilda.