HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL-8 March 1989
香港立法局
-一九八九年三月八日
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bed whilst their staff are entitled to much reduced staff benefits. They seem like the discarded son or of the government medical and health system.
Let me turn, Sir, to the plight of the public doctors and nurses. It is an unprecedented move that the doctors decided to pursue graded industrial action in protest of their salaries, fringe benefits and poor working environment. Let me assure you, Sir, that their decision is in no way a knee-jerk action, but rather an explosion under years of frustrations and years of neglect. The warning signs have always been there for all to see, but have simply been ignored by those in charge. The condition deteriorates, but treatment, though asked for, has never been forthcoming. Now that there is a crisis, those responsible are not around and their poor successors are left to hold the hot potatoes that they do not know what to do with!
Sir, let me quote a few examples that illustrate the frustrations of the public doctors (government and subvented alike), and perhaps offer some thoughts on improvement:
Excessively long hours of work
It is no surprise to see a public doctor doing a 70 to 80-hour week job. Whilst it is within the Hippocratic oath that the medical profession should do its utmost for the benefit of the sick, the physical and mental strain on human stamina also has to be considered. What sort of performance could one expect from the doctor who is completely exhausted after spending 36 hours of continuous struggle! What kind of care and devotion can one expect of him? At the end, the patients suffer indirectly through the inefficient system.
Unreasonable salary structure
Monetary returns for the staff is a major bone of contention, though not the only area. The doctors and nurses have repeatedly requested for a separate pay scale but were denied; yet their counterparts in the legal and security departments were given such flexibility. The extremely long hours of work and the risks that they are exposed to have never been recognized. The meagre offer of overtime allowance and some increase in senior posts could only be taken as an interim measure to improve staff benefits, while sincere considerations must be made by the Administration for an independent pay scale and across-the- board professional allowances.
All too often, the Administration is trying to shirk its responsibility to the future Hospital Authority. This will not do; positive action must be taken now! Whatever shred of confidence that the staff have in the Administration will only