Question No. 7
REPLY BY THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE TO A QUESTION BY DR.THE HON.CONRAD LAM IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON WEDNESDAY, 13 NOVEMBER 1985
Question:
In view of complaints that patients attending the families clinics are required to speak in English, will Government inform this Council of the percentage of non-Cantonese speaking medical staff who are working in families clinics and whether the posting of non-Cantonese speaking personnel to these clinics is justified?
sir,
Of the ten medical officers posted to the two
families clinics five are non-Cantonese speaking and five
are Cantonese speaking. 50% of the staff is therefore
non-Cantonese speaking. As there have in the past been
problems in finding sufficient local officers to fill posts
in the families clinics, it is considered appropriate to
post non-Cantonese speaking medical officers to these
clinics where their inability to speak Cantonese is less
of a handicap than it would be in general outpatient clinics.