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Tuberculosis

219 Respiratory Medicine doctors in Hong Kong →

Also known as: TB · Pulmonary tuberculosis ·

The Department of Health’s Tuberculosis and Chest Service describes tuberculosis as a disease of the lung caused by the tubercle bacillus, which can also affect the lymph nodes, bones, joints, spine, brain and kidneys. Treated early it is curable; untreated it leads to death. The standard course for pulmonary tuberculosis runs six months, and treatment at the Department’s chest clinics is free.

Hong Kong has 219 registered Respiratory Medicine doctors.

Source: Medical Council of Hong Kong register · read 2026-09-20

ok.med editorial team ·
Compiled by the editorial team from the sources listed below. Not reviewed by an individual doctor.

What is tuberculosis?

The Tuberculosis and Chest Service puts it this way: tuberculosis, commonly called 肺癆, is a disease in which the tubercle bacillus attacks the lung. It can also attack other organs — the lymph nodes, bones, joints, spine, brain and kidneys.

The colloquial name and the medical name refer to the same disease. Both are used on this page, because a doctor will generally say 結核病 while everyday conversation says 肺癆.

That tuberculosis is not confined to the lung matters in practice: persistent bone pain, joint swelling or enlarged lymph nodes can also be tuberculosis, and need not come with a cough.

How does it spread?

The Tuberculosis and Chest Service states that a person with open tuberculosis spreads droplets carrying the bacillus through the air to others.

“Open” means the sputum contains transmissible bacilli. Not every patient is infectious, and infectiousness falls once effective treatment begins — which is why starting early and completing the course concerns both the patient and those around them.

Medical Council of Hong Kong register

219 Respiratory Medicine doctors in Hong Kong

All 219 ›

The doctors below are listed from the Medical Council of Hong Kong register. This is not a recommendation, and says nothing about outcomes for this condition. Ask the doctor directly.

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How long is treatment?

The Tuberculosis and Chest Service states that the standard course for pulmonary tuberculosis runs six months, with some cases extending to nine months or a year.

The course has two phases: four medicines for the first two months — isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol — then two for the following four months, isoniazid and rifampicin. This is set out to show the length and shape of the course, not as advice on medicines; prescribing is a matter for a doctor.

The medicines are taken under direct supervision by healthcare staff, either daily or three times a week. This is routine practice locally rather than a special arrangement for particular patients.

The standard course at the Tuberculosis and Chest Service
PhaseWhat it involvesThe point
First two monthsFour medicines, taken under direct supervisionSymptoms usually improve here, but the course is far from finished
The next four monthsTwo medicines, also under direct supervisionOnly completing the course cures it and avoids resistance
CostTreatment at Department of Health chest clinics is freeThere are fifteen chest clinics across Hong Kong

What happens if the course is not completed?

The Tuberculosis and Chest Service lists four consequences in unusually direct terms: the bacillus develops drug resistance, the disease is not cured, it spreads to others, and death.

This section matters because the course runs six months while symptoms usually improve markedly within the first two. Feeling better is not the same as being cured, and directly observed therapy exists precisely to carry a patient through the period when stopping is most tempting.

At a glance

The standard tuberculosis course: four m

The standard tuberculosis course: four medicines for the first two months and two for the following four, all under directly observed therapy; treatment is free at the Department of Health’s fifteen chest clinics.
Source: Department of Health Tuberculosis and Chest Service · Read the original ›

Where is it treated in Hong Kong?

The Department of Health’s Tuberculosis and Chest Service is the main body for tuberculosis prevention and control in Hong Kong, with fifteen chest clinics providing out-patient care, and treatment is free.

The service monitors tuberculosis, finds undetected cases, provides directly observed treatment, and runs out-patient services and health education for tuberculosis and other chest diseases.

What are the treatment arrangements and costs here?

The answer here is unusually simple, and that is its value: treatment at the Department of Health’s chest clinics is free for tuberculosis patients.

  • The Tuberculosis and Chest Service states that the Department of Health’s chest clinics provide free treatment to tuberculosis patients.Department of Health Tuberculosis and Chest Service: how is tuberculosis treated? · read · (source)
  • The standard course runs six months: four medicines for the first two months and two for the following four, all taken under direct supervision by healthcare staff.Department of Health Tuberculosis and Chest Service: how is tuberculosis treated? · read · (source)
  • The Service lists four consequences of not taking the medicines as directed: drug resistance, failure to cure, transmission to others, and death.Department of Health Tuberculosis and Chest Service: how is tuberculosis treated? · read · (source)
  • The Tuberculosis and Chest Service is the main body for tuberculosis prevention and control in Hong Kong, with fifteen chest clinics providing out-patient care.Centre for Health Protection: Tuberculosis and Chest Service · read · (source)

When should a doctor be seen?

  • A cough persisting for weeks, particularly with sputum.
  • Coughing up blood, or blood in the sputum.
  • Persistent low fever, night sweats, or unexplained weight loss.
  • Persistent bone pain, joint swelling or enlarged lymph nodes — tuberculosis can affect organs beyond the lung.
  • Close contact with someone with open tuberculosis — tell a doctor rather than waiting for symptoms of your own.

Each has its own page and doctor list

Conditions related to Tuberculosis

By district

Which districts have Respiratory Medicine doctors?

Frequently asked questions

Are 肺癆 and 結核病 the same?
Yes. 肺癆 is the colloquial name and 結核病 the medical one, for the same disease caused by the tubercle bacillus.
What does treatment cost?
Treatment at the Department of Health’s chest clinics is free for tuberculosis patients. There are fifteen chest clinics across Hong Kong.
How long is the course?
The standard course is six months, extending to nine months or a year in some cases: four medicines for the first two months and two for the following four.
Can the medicines stop once I feel better?
No. Symptoms usually improve markedly within the first two months, but feeling better is not being cured. The Service lists the consequences of not completing as drug resistance, failure to cure, transmission to others and death.
What is directly observed therapy?
It means the medicines are taken under supervision by healthcare staff, either daily or three times a week. It is routine practice locally rather than something applied to particular patients.
Does tuberculosis only affect the lungs?
No. The Service notes it can also attack the lymph nodes, bones, joints, spine, brain and kidneys, so not every case presents mainly with a cough.

Sources

  1. Department of Health Tuberculosis and Chest Service: how tuberculosis is treated — course length, the two phases, directly observed therapy, free treatment and the consequences of non-adherence. Department of Health Tuberculosis and Chest Service ()
  2. Department of Health Tuberculosis and Chest Service: what is tuberculosis — the organism, the organs affected and the outlook. Department of Health Tuberculosis and Chest Service ()
  3. Centre for Health Protection: the Tuberculosis and Chest Service — what it covers and the chest clinics across Hong Kong. Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health ()
  4. Centre for Health Protection: tuberculosis resources — leaflets, posters and material on latent tuberculosis infection. Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health ()

This page is compiled from the Hong Kong official sources listed above. It is general information only — not a diagnosis, a treatment recommendation or medical advice, and no substitute for seeing a doctor. If you are unsure or your condition changes, consult a registered doctor.