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HEALTH
THE Comprehensive range of health services available, together with improvements in the standard of living, have fostered a good general level of health in Hong Kong.
The cornerstone of the government's health policy is that no one should be denied adequate medical treatment through lack of means. The government works to ensure that services and facilities of sufficient quality and quantity are available from both public and private sector providers to meet the needs of the community.
Under an extensive development programme, there was continued progress in 1994 on the planning and improvement of medical facilities, including public hospitals, general out- patient clinics and specialist out-patient services. Phase I of a new private hospital, the Shatin International Medical Centre Union Hospital with 212 beds, opened in June. Plans were announced for a new 400-bed hospital at Tseung Kwan O.
The year saw an increase of 554 hospital beds, bringing the total number to 27 572 - representing 4.5 beds per thousand of the population.
Following support for the proposal outlined in the 1993 consultation document Towards Better Health, a pilot project to introduce a new class of semi-private beds in public hospitals began in July. The pilot will be conducted in three hospitals and the results evaluated before a decision on whether to extend the scheme is taken. As a further follow-up to the consultation document, the government was also finalising plans at the year-end for a co-ordinated voluntary medical insurance scheme.
In September, the government announced plans to establish a regulatory framework and statutory body to control the practice of scientifically-assisted human reproduction. This followed the endorsement of the recommendations of the Committee on Scientifically Assisted Human Reproduction, to protect the rights of both parents and children born of such procedures. Pending the setting up of the statutory body, a provisional board will be established by early 1995 to advise on the drawing-up of a code of practice and the issues to be covered by legislation.
In 1994–95, a sum of $17,602 million was allocated to medical and health services in the public sector, including $15,662 million for the Hospital Authority and $1,729 million for the Department of Health. In addition, subventions totalling $211 million were provided for other medical institutions and organisations.
Capital expenditure on new hospitals and related buildings, including equipment and furniture, was about $1,568 million.
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