Pioneering doctor answers the call to head to mainland China
It has been a challenging exercise, but Shenzhen clinic is finally starting to pay dividends
Despite complicated procedures and high start-up costs, Dr Hubert Wong Chi-ho has no regrets about opening his pioneering clinic in Shenzhen.
The application process for the 6,000 sq ft clinic in Futian took more than a year, during which time he still had to pay rent - 1.3 million yuan (HK$1.63 million) even before his first patient arrived in May last year.
Wong is limited in the services he can offer over the border, but he still believes his clinic can make a profit.
"The market is big and the outlook is good," he said. "Hong Kong's medical services are very attractive to mainlanders as our medics have a good reputation. They believe that Hong Kong's doctors won't cheat them."
Wong first joined a joint venture to offer a cross-border ambulance service under the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement, before opening the first mainland clinic owned outright by a Hong Kong doctor.
His Chiho Medical Centre targets high-end customers. About 90 per cent are expatriates, although the number of local customers is increasing. The clinic also attracts a few Shenzhen-based Hongkongers. He plans to add a clinic in Shekou soon.