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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 18 January 1989
香港立法局————————— 一九八九年一月十八日
48
MRS. LAU: Sir, whatever may have been the cause of the present tragic accident, in the light of it having happened, would the Administration not consider it of first and foremost importance in the interest of public health to take immediate steps now, without awaiting the full report, to make it mandatory for all hospitals, whether government, private, or subvented, to follow a fixed set of safety regulations in all cases of administration of gases and medicines to patients?
SECRETARY FOR HELATH AND WELFARE: Sir, since the immediate steps which have already been taken have eliminated the possibility of the accident, or a similar accident from occurring again in the immediate future, I think we should wait until the results of the investigation are available before considering, as a matter of urgency, what next steps to take.
DR. IP: Is it the responsibility of the Medical and Health Department to ensure that all hospitals, irrespective of the type, operate safely and to a certain standard? If so, can Government explain why in this case there had been a double standard in the monitoring of the use of oxygen between the major government hospitals and others?
SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE: Sir, I have already explained in reply to an earlier supplementary the type of control exercised by the Medical and Health Department over non-government hospitals. Since these hospitals have always operated their own systems and procedures, and their record so far has been very good, there was no reason for the Director of Medical and Health Services to interfere directly with the management or running of these hospitals, to impose standards of procedures which are in operation in the government hospitals. Conversely there are, I understand, certain types of treatment which are in place in these hospitals but are not used in government hospitals.
周美德議員:主席先生,現時的政府醫院是否有足夠數目的資深麻醉科醫生,和是否有受過麻醉 科訓練的護士去提供一個完善和高質素的手術服務?
SECRETARY FOR HELATH AND WELFARE: Sir, as in the case of all other grades of civil servants and doctors, there are at present some vacancies in the establishment of doctors in government hospitals who specialize in anaesthesia. But the Director of Medical and Health Services is satisfied that since no patient would be allowed to be operated on under anaesthesia without the supervision of a qualified medical practitioner, I think the standards of care being accorded to patients undergoing operations can be regarded as satisfactory, and there is no cause for alarm.