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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1976
MEDICAL SERVICES: FURTHER IMPROVEMENT FORESEEN
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HONG KONG SHOULD SEE BY THE END OF 1979-80 BOTH A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE RATIO OF HOSPITAL BEDS TO THE POPULATION AND A FURTHER IMPROVEMENT IN THE STANDARD OF OUR MEDICAL SERVICES,
IN HIS BUDGET SPEECH, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON. PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY THAT RECURRENT EXPENDITURE ON MEDICAL SERVICES AT CONSTANT PRICES WAS ESTIMATED TO INCREASE FROM ABOUT $600 MILLION IN 1976-77 TO OVER $720 MILLION BY THE END OF THE THREE YEAR FORECAST PERIOD, 1977-78 TO 1979-80.
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE MIGHT HAVE TO BE AS HIGH AS $430 MILLION OVER THE FOUR YEARS FROM 1976-77 TO 1979-80.
THE DRAFT ESTIMATES, MR. HADDON-CAVE SAID, PROVIDED FOR EXPENDITURE OF $631 MILLION ON MEDICAL SERVICES IN THE COMING FINANCIAL YEAR, WHICH REPRESENTED 8.7 PER CENT OF TOTAL EXPENDITURE.
PROVISION HAS BEEN INCLUDED FOR THE PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL TO OPERATE AT ITS FULL CAPACITY OF 1,340 BEDS, FOR THE OPENING OF TWO POLYCLINICS AND A SPECIALIST CLINIC AND FOR THE OPENING OF THE EXTENSION OF THE NAM LONG HOSPITAL AND THE TUNG WAH CENTENARY BUILDING.
+THESE PROJECTS WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF BEDS FROM 18,137 AT MARCH 31, 1976 TO 18,831 BY MARCH 31, 1977 AND WILL RESULT IN AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE RATIO OF BEDS TO THE POPULATION, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY SAID.
HE ADDED THAT +OUR PRESENT FINANCIAL PLANNING OVER THE PERIOD 1977-78 TO 1979-80 ALLOWED FOR THE BUILDING OF THE PSYCHIATRIC WING OF THE PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL AND OF NEW HOSPITALS IN EAST KOWLOON AND SHA TIN,
+MEANWHILE,+ HE NOTED, +WE SHALL BE EXPECTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MEDICAL SCHOOL AT THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY.+
HE ALSO NOTED THAT PROVISION WAS INCLUDED TO FINANCE THE STEPS NECESSARY TO BRING REGISTRABLE DOCTORS UP TO STANDARD.
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