WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1981
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EXPANSION IN MEDICAL SERVICES OUTLINED
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HONG KONG WILL INCREASE ITS STOCK OF HOSPITAL BEDS FROM THE PRESENT 20 800 TO 36 300 AND ACHIEVE THE MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE'S TARGET OF 5.7 BEDS PER 1 000 POPULATION BY 1990, COMPARED TO 4 BEDS PER 1 000 POPULATION NOW.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, WHEN HE OUTLINED A SERIES OF DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES IN MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
THE DEVELOPMENT PLANS INCLUDE:
* THE NEWLY BUILT 600-BED CARDIOTHORACIC CENTRE AT THE
GRANTHAM HOSPITAL WHICH WILL PROVIDE THE MOST UP-TO-DATE AND SOPHISTICATED TREATMENT TECHNIQUES FOR HEART DISEASES NEXT YEAR=
* THE 1 400-BED PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL AT SHATIN WHICH WILL SERVE AS THE TEACHING HOSPITAL FOR HONG KONG'S SECOND MEDICAL SCHOOL AT THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG AS WELL AS THE REGIONAL HOSPITAL FOR THE EASTERN NEW TERRITORIES-
* A NEW REGIONAL HOSPITAL FOR THE WESTERN NEW TERRITORIES AT TUEN MUN CONSTRUCTION OF WHICH WILL START NEXT YEAR=
*
NEW GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS IN EAST KOWLOON, TAI PO AND SHAU KEI WAN WITH CAPACITIES RANGING FROM 1 200 TO 1 500 BEDS EACH- AND
* MAJOR EXTENSIONS FOR POK OI HOSPITAL (200 BEDS), YAN CHAI HOSPITAL (500 BEDS) AND UNITED CHRISTIAN HOSPITAL (775 BEDS).
AND IN ORDER TO RELIEVE PRESSURE ON ACUTE HOSPITAL BEDS, THE MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS ENDORSED A PROGRAMME FOR THE PROVISION OF INFIRMAR IES FOR PATIENTS REQUIRING LONG TERM CARE, THE GOVERNOR SAID.
SIR MURRAY SAID IT WAS THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION TO CONCENTRATE FUTURE PROVISION OF CLINIC SERVICES IN THE NEW TOWNS AND IN OUTLYING AREAS WHERE THERE WERE FEWER PRIVATE MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS.
+OUR PLANS INVOLVE ALMOST DOUBLING THE PRESENT NUMBER OF CONSULTING ROOMS FROM 54 TO 486, AND ACHIEVING A RATIO OF 7.6 CONSULTING ROOMS PER 100 000 POPULATION BY 1990, COMPARED TO 5.4 AT PRESENT. +
+ON PRESENT FORECASTS, AND PARTICULARLY IN REGARD TO DOCTORS THERE WILL BE A SHORTFALL, EVEN ON EXISTING STANDARDS, LET ALONE IMPROVED ONES. IT IS THEREFORE RATHER DOUBTFUL THAT THIS EXPANSION OF SERVICES CAN ALL BE COMPLETED BY 1990 AS RECOMMENDED BY THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
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