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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1977
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GOVERNMENT TAKING MEASURES TO REDUCE WAITING TIME FOR
X-RAY EXAMINATIONS
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THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR. THE HON. K.L. THONG, SAID THAT BOTH SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM MEASURES ARE BEING INSTITUTED TO REDUCE WAITING TIME FOR SPECIAL X-RAY EXAMINATIONS AT GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS.
DR. THONG WAS REPLYING TO QUESTIONS ON X-RAY SERVICES BY THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, DURING THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEETING TODAY.
HE SAID IN THE IMMEDIATE SHORT-TERM ACTIVE CONSIDERATION IS BEING GIVEN TO INCREASING THE NUMBER OF SESSIONS WITHIN THE PRESENT FACILITIES WHICH SHOULD REDUCE THE WAITING TIME TO A CONSIDERABLE EXTENT.+
AT THE SAME TIME, STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FACILITIES IN MAJOR INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS THE SOUTH KWAI CHUNG POLYCLINIC, THE PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL, THE QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL AND THE KOWLOON HOSPITAL, HE SAID.
+ IN FACT, THE FACILITIES AT SOUTH KWAI CHUNG POLYCLINIC SHOULD BE OPERATIONAL BY EARLY NEXT YEAR AND GIVEN THE RESOURCES THE OTHER FACILITIES SHOULD ALSO BE IN USE WITHIN THE NEXT TWO TO THREE YEARS, WHICH WILL FURTHER IMPROVE THE SITUATION, HE ADDED.
DR. THONG EXPLAINED THAT SPECIAL X-RAY EXAMINATIONS PRESENTLY CARRIED OUT IN GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS FALL GENERALLY INTO TWO CATEGORIES.
THE FIRST CATEGORY RELATES TO CASES WHICH ARE CONSIDERED URGENT FOR DETERMINING THE DIAGNOSIS SO THAT APPROPRIATE TREATMENT COULD BE STARTED.
+FOR SUCH CASES, THERE IS NO WAITING TIME,+ HE SAID.
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THERE ARE CERTAIN CASES WHICH, IN THE OPINION OF THE ATTENDING DOCTOR, SHOULD UNDERGO FURTHER EXAMINATIONS FOR MORE DETAILED
INVESTIGATIONS AND CONFIRMATION OF THE CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS AND FOR FOLLOW-UP AT CERTAIN INTERVALS.
FOR SUCH CASES, THERE IS A PRIORITY SCHEDULE AND DEPENDING ON THE INDIVIDUAL CASE THERE MAY BE ON THE AVERAGE A WAITING TIME OF ABOUT FOUR MONTHS FOR THE QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL WHILE THE WAITING TIME FOR QUEEN MARY AND PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITALS IS MUCH LESS, HE SAID.
+ MIGHT ADD THAT THIS PICTURE IS GENERALLY TRUE ALSO IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, SAID DR. THONG.
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