Sir,
Speech by Dr. the Hon. K.L. Thong, JP, Director of Medical & Health Services,
in Legislative Council on
16.11.1978
Annual Policy Debate 1978
On previous occasions when I had the privilege to speak in this
Council I described in some detail the plans and projects as embodied in
the Ten Year Medical Development Plan. These plans are reviewed and updated
annually by the Medical Development Advisory Committee (MDAC) to take
into account as much as possible the changing needs in regard to areas
of service as well as in the time schedule.
It is therefore not my intention to take up the time of this Council
in enumerating again individual projects but simply to say that within
these plans there will be more and better general out-patients services,
maternal and child health services, family planning, health education,
day patient care and other facilities which will be available progressively
from now until the end of the decade.
In the development of hospitals and specialist facilities four
major hospitals of between 1200 to 1400 beds each are expected to be
completed within the same period.
Major improvements are also being considered for the three existing
Regional Hospitals and other hospitals in the whole health care delivery
system. It is therefore not surprising that the capital expenditure will
exceed $2,200 million while the recurrent expenditure will total more than
$1,600 million by 1986/87 at present day prices.
Thus, the good medical services as mentioned by Your Excellency will
become even better when these plans become reality.
While on the subject of development of medical facilities, I should
like to take up relevant points raised by Mr. Cheong-Leen and Miss Bennett.