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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be lost by hiding behind the skirt of the "not yet materialized" Hospital Authority!
Poor job satisfaction
The government doctors, I am sure, are willing to put up with a lot more including lower financial returns if they can feel job satisfaction and better working environment. But, alas, job satisfaction is difficult to come by, for with the present system, they bear the brunt of the Government's lack of a workable medical care policy. Repeated requests for improvement of working environment such as office space, better call room and availability of clerical help have been met with deaf ears!
The lack of proper management
All is still not lost if the doctors feel that things will and can improve in the future. Unfortunately, the lack of management expertise in hospitals makes it a mockery for improvement. Furthermore, any suggestion for re-organization or improvement is taken as rocking the boat. Criticism is never welcome!
The absence of communication between staff and the administration
Frustrations of staff are never sympathized with by senior officials. There is no channel for medical officers to air their grievances to the senior administrators. Safely ensconced in the headquarters they are removed from the mess of the hospitals. Grievances from junior staff, doctors and nurses alike, have to be swallowed by themselves. Those who dare to criticize run the risks of unpopular posting or being barred from promotion.
Sir, their frustrations have reached a crescendo. Graded industrial action, as I see it, is only one facet of their expression of disgust. Perhaps more important is the stream of wastage of staff into the private sector. In the case of doctors, this has reached a critical situation. Most of the losses are from senior staff. Urgent moves must be made by the Administration to curb this wastage which, given time, will undermine the quality of medical care to our community. The loss of expertise through wastage of well trained staff will never be replaceable with employment from overseas as some may have suggested.
Sir, it is a wonder that, with all these, Hong Kong's medical and health system can still boast the lowest infant mortality rate, the absence of epidemics for years and an increasing average life expectancy. All these are due to the extreme devotion and dedication of frontline workers. But unfortunately, such