Central District
Stanley Public Dispensary
Violet Peel (Wan Chai)
Sham Shui Po Public Dispensary
Tai Hang Tung
•
Rooms
No. of No. of Reasons Consulting Maternity for
Beds Closure
Planned Date
519222
a.b.
1982
6
a.b.
1978
a.b.
1976*
a.b.
1979
a.b.
1978
Hung Hom Public Dispensary
14
a.b.
1977
Li Kee Public Dispensary
3
a.b.
1979
Kam Tin Clinic
1
7
b.
Ho Tung Dispensary (Fan Ling)
1
6
a.b.
1980 1980
Sha Tau Kok Dispensary
1
C.
Sai Kung Dispensary
2
7
a.b.
1973* 1977
* Already approved.
34. Further requirements for consulting rooms, determined by matching the existing and planned provision against the needs established in paragraph 14, are given in the following table of potential shortfalls.
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
Year
Shortfall in Consulting Rooms
5225
19
32
47
In other words there is currently a small excess which will be maintained in the period up to 1978 but thereafter a shortfall will occur widening to 47 by 1982. This estimate errs on the optimistic side because it is based on assumptions such as an even flow of patients during the day.
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In practice, certain hours are more convenient for patients than others and at these times the clinics are heavily overcrowded. Nor, as another example, has any account been taken of geographic distribution, which in practice means that some urban clinics are heavily overloaded while others, particularly in the New Territories, are under-utilized.
35. More clinics will be needed therefore, but it seems that at this early stage no firm decision can be taken about how many more clinics to build after the 1976-77 quartet, and of what type and where. As new towns develop construction of clinics will have to keep abreast of such development. Ratios of clinics to the Colony's population in a generalized way are unsatisfactory; what is important is the geographical location and availability of the clinics as population grows in particular areas. Clinics in the new towns should be put there for the purpose of serving the people of those towns only. This demands a fairly flexible approach to planning new clinics, and flexibility is needed also in deciding upon the type of services to be put into each clinic. In the case of maternity units, it will have to be decided on the merits of the case whether to include them or not, depending on likely demand.
36. It has been proposed that the design of Government clinics should be reappraised in this interim period to take account of the following:
(a) The size should be enlarged to include a large waiting hall sufficient to seat 300 patients and a dispensary situated within the waiting area and not outside it.
(b) At least six consulting rooms besides the usual treatment room, dressing room, etc., should be provided for general out-patients.
(c) The maternal and child health sections should be enlarged, with not only larger demonstration and exhibition rooms but also more consulting rooms, so that family planning sessions can be held together with ante-and post-natal examinations.
(d) Increased numbers of day-beds may be required.
37. Clearly, before even preliminary design work is started, an estimate of cost is difficult to produce. However, using the present standard clinic as a basis (four general out-patient department rooms, one maternal and child health room, 24 maternity beds and the related
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