Tam Guoyuan retired to Guangzhou almost a decade ago with his wife hoping their meagre savings would go further but the 79-year-old Hongkonger regularly returns to his hometown for medical treatment, despite a gruelling four-hour bus ride, even enduring weeks of quarantine during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tam, a former middle manager at a property firm, needs to see a doctor every three months for his diabetes and high cholesterol and uric acid levels.

At a Hong Kong public hospital, his medical charges are waived. A government healthcare voucher scheme, which covers all Hong Kong residents aged 65 or above, provides an annual subsidy of HK$2,000 he can use at private clinics.