11
Friday, March 15, 1974
PUBLIC COMMENT ON MEDICAL GREEN PAPER
Will Be Carefully Studied
Pull consideration will be given to the public's views on the
report of the liedical Development Advisory Committee before government
policy is finally determined later this year and set out in a White Paper.
This assurance was given today by the Colonial Secretary, Mr. Denys
Roberts, when he officially opened the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals*
Centenary Block: in Western District, which marks the Group's 100th anniversary.
As was hoped, the green paper on the report provoked widespread
public comment and reaction, Mr. Roberts noted. "Indeed, it is a sign of
the healthy development of our society that it has aroused so much interect
and been so keenly debated."
llo ennisised that the government is not complacent about the standard
of medicine in Hong Kong, and although standards are good and compare
favourably with most countries, "we are determined to improve it."
The government, he added, accepted that is responsibility,a:
representative of the people as a whole, is to care for the destitute, the
old and the infirm and to ensure that everyone is adequately fed, housed
and cared for when ill.”
Ho vms confident that Hong Kong would continue to provide medical
facilities which comare well with other countries and are the envy of many.
The Colonial Secretary noted, however, that without the devoted
efforts of charitable bodies, such as the Tung Wah Group, the medical
facilities available in Hong Kong would be completely inadequate.
/He praised