62.
the
*
of the
•
The Hong Kong Government is also placing high priority on the
expansion of technical education and industrial training to support
development continuing
territory's manufacturing and service industries. Тио more technical institutes were opened in
1986: in the new towns of Sha Tin and Tuen Mun, raising the number
of full-time and equivalent places in the seven technical institutes
from 9,100 to 13,400. An eighth technical institute will open next
year and will provide a further 2,700 places. These institutes have been built. under the auspices of Hong Kong's Vocational Training
Council, which has wide responsibilities for developing and
operating technical and industrial training for operatives,
craftsmen and technicians. The Council operates two industrial
training centre complexes which provide training in the major
industrial skills for some 9,000 trainees each year.
On the
commercial side, the Council opened two new training centres during the year in the fields of insurance and electronic data processing.
(c)
Medical Services
63.
In the field of medical and health services work continued on
Hong Kong's extensive hospital building programme. The number of beds in government and government-subvented hospitals has risen from 17,000 to 22,000 over the last ten years and is projected to rise to over 27,000 by the end of 1990.
64.
in
March.
A government commissioned report by overseas consultants on the management and organisation of hospital services was published One of its principal recommendations is that the management of all government and subvented hospitals be vested in a
Hospital Authority to
the ensure
most efficient use of staff
and to reduce the present overcrowding in
There has been
mixed reaction to the
proposal from some professional bodies and staff associations, bu most opinion expressed so far is in favour of the establishment of Hospital Authority, provided the Hong Kong Government does
relinquish its commitment to medical and health service
resources and facilities and to reduce
government
hospitals.
feasibility and
resource
urc
a
implications of
the
eport
recommendations will be further evaluated in the coming months.