HEALTH
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Primary Health Care
Primary health care, which emphasises the promotion of general health and prevention of disease, is recognised worldwide as the most cost-effective means of providing health care services.
The Working Party on Primary Health Care, whose report was endorsed by the govern- ment in 1991, made 102 recommendations for improving primary health care services. Intense efforts are being made to implement these recommendations with improvements at all government general out-patient clinics, the establishment of new health services and the development of a district health system.
District Health System
The District Health System is an organisational framework for the delivery of primary health care services. It attaches importance to the need for efficient co-ordination among the various providers of medical and health services. The setting up of multi-sectoral district health committees, with members drawn from other health care and community service providers and the public, provides a forum for community participation in service planning and health promotion.
A pilot District Health System programme was initiated in 1992 in Kwun Tong. An evaluation of the programme was completed in early 1994 and submitted to the Health and Medical Development Advisory Committee, where it was favourably received. There are plans for the system to be extended to other districts.
Hospitals and Development Programmes
Public hospitals provide heavily-subsidised services which are easily accessible to the community.
During the year, the demand for hospital services remained high, as reflected by the 809 755 hospital admissions and 5066 641 attendances at out-patient and specialist clinics. Accident and emergency departments of major public hospitals saw 1 661 694 attendances an average of 4 553 per day.
Projects in the hospital development programme progressed satisfactorily.
The number of beds available at Tuen Mun Hospital, which opened in 1990, increased to 1 319 at the end of the year. The hospital will provide a total of 1 606 beds upon full operation.
The number of beds available at the 1 620-bed Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, which opened in October 1993, increased to 782 at the end of the year.
The Hong Kong Eye Hospital, which opened in Mongkok in September 1993 and offers specialist ophthalmology services at both the secondary and tertiary referral levels, became fully operational in 1994.
The Au Tau Infirmary was completed in August to provide 120 beds for the care of infirmary patients.
The territory's first cancer centre is being built at the Prince of Wales Hospital to conduct multi-disciplinary cancer research, diagnosis, treatment, counselling and public education.
New or additional services are being progressively introduced at Tuen Mun Hospital, the Queen Mary Hospital Extension, Ruttonjee Hospital, Shatin Hospital and Yan Chai Hospital.
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