131
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HONG KONG.
No. 1926
15
CHARGES FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT TO FIRST AND SECOND CLASS PRIVATE PATIENTS IN GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS AS FROM 1ST JANUARY, 1927.
In 1920 the local branch of the British Medical Association raised the question of the fees charged in Government hospitals. Government replied that it ‹lid not propose to increase the fees.
In 1923 three local firms of medical practitioners again took up the matter stating that they considered that local doctors were subjected to unfair competition by the low rates charged in Government hospitals and more particularly by the fact that surgical operations were performed free in those hospitals. The matter was referred to the Secretary of State, who replied that "it appears to be the general practice in the Colonies for Government Civil Hospitals to afford treatment to the general public on the payment of certain fees,
These fees however are clearly intended to cover only the cost of maintenance, nursing attendance, etc., and are paid into the Government Chest as revenue derived from the Medical department, and no special effort seems to be made to avoid competition with private practitioners."
In view of this reply the Government informed the three firms that it was not prepared to establish a scale of special fees for operations in Government hospitals.
The matter was then taken up by the British Medical Association, London, and a copy of the following letter from the British Medical Association was forwarded by the Secretary of State for consideration.
BRITISH MEDICAL ASSOCIATION,
MEDICAL DEPARTMENT,
429, STRAND,
LONDON, W.C. 2,
22nd October, 1924.
SIR,
I am instructed by the Dominions Committee of this Association to bring to your notice certain circumstances in connection with the Hospital Medical Service under the Hong Kong Government.
It is understood that the Hospital Medical Service is maintained by the Hong Kong Government for the purpose of supplying the medical needs of Government servants and the poor and that those Hospitals are staffed by Medical Officers employed by the Government, and that private practitioners are debarred from attending or operating on their own patients in the Hospitals. Other patients, however, who do not belong to the Government Service and who are not in need of financial assistance to defray their medical expenses are also admitted for treatment and it happens that in many cases those admitted are not even residents of the Colony. The fees charged are :—
$8.00 per day for the 1st class.
$5.00 per day for the 2nd class.
$2.00 or $1.00 per day for the 3rd class.
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