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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1981
BUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRIVATE HOSPITALS IN THE PAST TEN YEARS IS MOST DISAPPOINTING, HE SAID.
AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE DISAPPOINTING UNLESS POSITIVE STEPS ARE TO BE TAKEN.
FOR EXAMPLE, HE SAID, PLANS OF THE DR SUN YAT SEN HOSPITAL IN KOWLOON WERE ABORTED THE WAH JEN HOSPITAL ON BRAEMAR HILL HAS BEEN DELAYED AND THE RECENTLY-APPROVED AW BOON HAW HOSPITAL IN WONG CHUK HANG HAS MADE LITTLE HEADWAY.
ONE OF THE DIS INCENTIVES COULD WELL BE IN THE RESTRICTIVE LAND GRANT CONDITION WHICH REQUIRE 20 PER CENT OF THE HOSPITAL BEDS TO BE OPERATED AS +CHARITY BEDS+, HE ADDED.
+ IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES THE CHANCE OF BREAK ING EVEN IS VERY SLIM,
+1 HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE WILLING TO SHOULDER THE CAPITAL COSTS OF CONSTRUCTING HOSPITALS, BUT WHO ARE PUT OFF BY THE PROHIBITIVE RECURRENT COSTS.
+ IF THE REQUIREMENT FOR LAND GRANTS COULD BE MODIFIED TO EMPHASIZE SOLELY ON THE NON-PROF IT MAKING ASPECT, I AM SURE THIS WOULD STIMULATE PRIVATE PARTICIPATION WITHOUT NEGATING THE SOCIAL OBJECTIVE OF ENSURING THAT THE SERVICE IS WITHIN THE MEANS OF THE COMMUNITY.+
HE SUGGESTED THAT A FIXED PERCENTAGE OF BEDS BE PROVIDED +AT COST+ WHILE PROF ITS FROM THE REMAINING BEDS BE USED TO UPGRADE AND EXPAND THE SERVICES.
TURNING TO PRIMARY MEDICAL CARE, DR FANG NOTED THAT IT IS ONE OF THE WEAKEST AREAS IN THE GOVERNMENT MEDICAL SERVICE.
AT PRESENT, PRIMARY CARE IS CARRIED OUT IN THE GOVERNMENT OUT-PATIENT CLINICS. WORK AT THESE CLINICS IS HEAVY WITH LITTLE SCOPE FOR TRAINING AND DOCTORS ARE ASSIGNED THERE NOT BY CHOICE BUT BY CIRCUMSTANCE,
BECAUSE OF THE TREMENDOUS WORKLOAD, HE SAID, OFTEN LESS THAN TWO MINUTES ARE SPENT ON EACH PATIENT AND THE DOCTOR/PATIENT RELATIONSHIP IS NON-EXISTENT.
A RECENT SURVEY OF ATTENDANCE AT THE CLINICS SHOWS THAT THE MAJOR ITY WERE HOUSEWIVES, ELDERLY PEOPLE AND CHILDREN. FEW WORK ING MEN OR WOMEN COULD AFFORD TO SPEND TIME QUEUING AT THESE CLINICS.
+1 SUGGEST THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD ENCOURAGE MORE EMPLOYERS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO PROVIDE FOR THE MEDICAL NEEDS OF THE IR EMPLOYEES AND THE IR FAMILIES THROUGH INSURANCE SCHEMES AND ARRANGEMENTS WITH PRIVATE DOCTORS, HE SAID.
SUCH A SCHEME WOULD RELIEVE PRESSURE ON GOVERNMENT FACILITIES AND MAKE THESE MORE READILY AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO CANNOT AFFORD MEDICAL CARE OTHERWISE, HE SAID.
THERE WOULD ALSO BE A BETTER UTILIZATION OF RESOURCES IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND THE PUBLIC WOULD HAVE A GENUINE CHOICE
IN SERVICE SELECTION AT COSTS THAT THEY CAN AFFORD.
ANOTHER KEY