WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1976
BIRTH OF HOSPITAL A LONG AND COMPLICATED PROCESS--DR. CHOA
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THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR. GERALD CHOA, TODAY TOLD OF THE LONG AND COMPLICATED PROCESS OF GIVING BIRTH TO A MAJOR HOSPITAL WITH OVER A THOUSAND BEDS AND ALL SPECIALIST SERVICES.
SPEAKING AT THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON WEST ON THE BIRTH OF A HOSPITAL, HE SAID IT WOULD REQUIRE THE METICULOUS PLANNING AND HARD WORK OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF FOR AS LONG AS A DECADE OR LONGER.
THE DIRECTOR SAID THERE WERE FIVE BASIC STEPS LEADING TO THE DELIVERY OF A HOSPITAL: DETERMINING THE NEED, FORMULATING POLICIES, DECIDING PRIORITIES AND ALLOCATING FUNDS, PLANNING AND PREPARING DETAILED WORK DRAWINGS AND, FINALLY, CONSTRUCTING THE HOSPITAL.
AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE BUILDINGS, THE HOSPITAL COMPLEX IS HANDED OVER TO THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR COMMISSION- ING. THE WHOLE PROCESS, FROM CONCEPTION TO DELIVERY, TAKES AT LEAST TEN YEARS TO COMPLETE.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE OFTEN WONDERED IF THE SIZE AND SCALE OF A GENERAL HOSPITAL COULD BE REDUCED IN ORDER TO SHORTEN THE LENGTH OF TIME NEEDED TO BUILD IT. TO THIS, DR. CHOA SAID SINCE LAND WAS SO SCARCE IN HONG KONG IT WOULD BE MORE ECONOMICAL AND PRACTICAL TO BUILD A MAJOR HOSPITAL ON AN AVAILABLE SITE RATHER THAN A NUMBER OF SMALL-SCALE HOSPITALS ON DIFFERENT SITES. HE POINTED OUT THAT OUR TARGET WAS TO ACHIEVE A RATIO OF 5.5 BEDS PER THOUSAND POPULATION AND, THEREFORE, AN ADDITIONAL 6,000 BEDS WOULD NEED TO BE PUT UP WITHIN THE NEXT TEN YEARS IF THE TARGET WAS TO BE MET.
+OUR MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN CALLS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ONE MAJOR ACUTE HOSPITAL WITH ALL KINDS OF SPECIALIST SERVICES IN EVERY REGION, THESE REGIONAL HOSPITALS, AS THEY ARE TO BE CALLED, WILL BE SUPPORTED BY ONE OR MORE DISTRICT HOSPITALS WHICH ARE ON A SMALLER SCALE, HE SAID.
WITH THE OPENING OF THE NEW PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL, DR. CHOA SAID HE NATURALLY CHERISHED NEW HOPES AND EXPECTATIONS.
HE SAID THAT THE PROVISION OF AN IDEAL HOSPITAL SERVICE WOULD DEPEND ON THE HOSPITAL STAFF WHO HAD AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY.
+RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING THEY MUST NOT GIVE PEOPLE A BAD IMPRESSION, AND THEY MUST DO AWAY WITH BAD CUSTOMS AND PRACTICES SUCH AS RECEIVING TIPS AND TEA MONEY AND SO FORTH, HE SAID.
IN THIS CONNECTION, HE HAD HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION ON WAYS OF STAMPING OUT THIS SOCIAL EVIL.
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