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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1982
HOSPITAL OVERCROWDING EASED
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THE INTEGRATION OF GOVERNMENT AND SUBVENTED MEDICAL SERVICES WITHIN THE REGIONAL SYSTEM HAS EASED OVER-CROWDING IN THE MAIN GOVERNMENT REGIONAL HOSPITALS AND IMPROVED THE UTILISATION OF BEDS IN THE SUBVENTED HOSPITALS.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON JOHN BREMRIDGE, IN HIS BUDGET SPEECH TODAY.
HE ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE FOR THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN 1982-83 TO BE $1 369.8 MILLION, AND EXPENDITURE ON MEDICAL SUBVENTIONS TO BE $775.8 MILLION.
+ADDITIONAL SENIOR STAFF HAD BEEN PROVIDED IN THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO COMPLETE THE PROCESS OF REGIONALISATION AND TO RATIONALISE THE ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE AT HEADQUARTERS.
+TO ENABLE SUBVENTED HOSPITALS TO ASSUME A GREATER ROLE IN THE TREATMENT OF ACUTE HOSPITAL CASES, DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES ARE UNDER WAY IN THE CARITAS, POK OI AND YAN CHAI HOSPITALS, REQUIRING CAPITAL SUBVENTION OF SOME $36 MILLION IN 1982-83,+ HE SAID.
IN ADDITION TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF GENERAL AND SPECIALIST HOSPITALS, 12 NEW CLINICS AND POLYCLINICS WERE INCLUDED IN THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME, AND THREE PROJECTS WERE DUE FOR COMPLETION IN THE COMING FINANCIAL YEAR, HE SAID.
ON HOSPITAL BEDS, MR BREMRIDGE NOTED THAT THE RATIO OF 5.5 HOSPITAL BEDS PER 1 000 POPULATION SHOULD BE REGARDED AS A DESIRABLE STANDARD FOR LONG TERM PLANNING.
THE FORMULA FOR DETERMINING THIS RATIO WAS CONSTANTLY BEING REFINED, HE SAID.
+BY THE END OF 1981-82, THERE WILL BE SOME 22 500 BEDS IN GOVERNMENT, SUBVENTED AND PRIVATE HOSPITALS. WITH SOME 300 MORE BEDS TO BE PROVIDED IN THE DRAFT ESTIMATES, ABOUT 81 PER CENT OF REQUIREMENTS WILL BE MET.
MR BREMRIDGE ALSO REPORTED THAT FIVE OTHER CLINICS, IN ADDITION TO THE EXISTING TWO SCHOOL DENTAL CLINICS, WERE PLANNED EXTENDING THE SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE PROGRESSIVELY TO COVER ALL PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN.
TWO EXISTING SCHOOL DENTAL CLINICS NOW PROVIDE TREATMENT FOR CHILDREN IN PRIMARY ONE, AND IN THE COMING FINANCIAL YEAR, THEY WILL COVER CHILDREN UP TO PRIMARY THREE, HE ADDED.
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