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Speech by Dr. the Hon. K. L. Thong, JP, Director of Medical & Health Services, at the Annual Budget Debate in LegCo
on 20.4.1977
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Jn 22k
H+KK (200/1
Sir,
It is a happy coincidence that my Friends, Dr. Fang and Mr. Cheong-Leen should raise some relevant points within the context of the tale that I am about to tell regarding the development plans for the medical and health services, the accompanying problems and the action that is to be taken from now onwards over the net 5 years and in the longer term, beyond this period, to the middle of the next decade. I am most grateful therefore to my Friends for the opportunity to clarify and elaborate on those matters as and when I come across them in my comments to follow.
The provision of good and efficient medical and health services is a major activity of good Government and in Hong Kong this has always been the aim. The considerable problems involved in providing adequate facilities for the dynamic urban areas with an ever-increasing population are made even more comple by the simultaneous need to provide for the new and rapidly growing towns in the New Territories. The first essential step therefore is to ensure that a professional and administrative structure exists within the Medical & Health Department to cope with all the challenges that lie ahead and to meet the demands for better and improved services.
Accordingly, action has been taken to provide for this structure by the introduction of the Regionalisation Scheme, the first phase of which has commenced on 1st April 1977 with the establishment of three Regional Offices in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories, each of which is now under the direct charge of an Assistant Director and supported by a regional management team.
The aims of regionalisation may be set out briefly as follows :-
Firstly, under the Regional Assistant Director all preventive and curative services are coordinated to provide a comprehensive and integrated service in his region.
Secondly, existing facilities and manpower can be put to optimal and more efficient use within the region.
Thirdly, special services such as the accident service could be administered and better coordinated at regional levels.
In regard to the first aim, the Regional Assistant Director is now in a better position to coordinate both preventive and curative measures on the spot and respond immediately to special circumstances. In the event of an outbreak of an infectious disease for example relevant information on the patients in the hospitals and clinics can be fed directly to the regional health team who
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