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DOCTOR-PATIENT RATIOS
***
IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN GOVERNMENT POLICY THAT ALL FACTORS BEING EQUAL, CASUALTY UNITS IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS, WHETHER
GOVERNMENT OR SUBVENTED, SHOULD HAVE THE SAME DOCTOR-PATIENT RATIOS. THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES. DR THE HON S.F. LAM, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
HE WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE REV. THE HON JOYCE BENNETT ON WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS BY A RECENT CORONER'S INQUEST THAT THE DOCTOR-PATIENT RATIOS IN CASUALTY UNITS IN SUBVENTED HOSPITALS BE THE SAME AS IN GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS.
DR LAM SAID IRRESPECTIVE OF THE CORONER'S RECOMMENDATIONS, THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAD ALWAYS BEEN ADOPTING THE POLICY THAT ALL UNITS IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS PERFORMING SIMILAR LEVELS OF WORK UNDER IDENTICAL CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD HAVE THE SAME DOCTOR-PATIENT RATIOS.
HE POINTED OUT, HOWEVER, DOCTOR-PATIENT RATIOS WERE IN FACT ONLY A GENERAL GUIDE IN THE PLANNING FOR STAFFING UNITS IN MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS.
+THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF DOCTORS WORKING IN A CASUALTY DEPARTMENT MUST BE DETERMINED BY THE ACTUAL SITUATION IN THE FIELD AND THIS DIFFERS FROM HOSPITAL TO HOSPITAL WHETHER THEY ARE GOVERNMENT OR SUBVENTED, HE SAID.
DR LAM SAID THERE WERE ESTABLISHED CHANNELS IN ALL HOSPITALS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DOCTOR-PATIENT RATIOS IN THE FORM OF MEDICAL COMMITTEES RESPONSIBLE FOR IDENTIFYING THE NEEDS FOR STAFF AND MAKING OUT A GOOD CASE FOR SUCH.
+MY DEPARTMENT WILL ALWAYS SUPPORT JUSTIFIED REQUESTS FROM ALL SUBVENTED HOSPITALS, HE ADDED.
ACTIONS AGAINST COUNTERFEIT PHARMACEUTICALS ***
THIRTY-TWO PROSECUTIONS WERE TAKEN AGAINST THE COUNTERFEITING OF PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, RESULTING IN FINES TOTALLING $36 950, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON JOHN GRIFFITHS, DISCLOSED AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEETING TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
IN ONE CASE, A THREE-MONTH PRISON SENTENCE WAS IMPOSED, MR GRIFFITHS SAID, IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON LYDIA DUNN.
BY COMPARISON, GOODS SEIZED WERE VALUED AT $538 840.
FOR THE SAME PERIOD, MR GRIFFITHS REPORTED TEN PROSECUTIONS FOR THE SALE OF UNREGISTERED PRODUCTS.
THE FINES TOTALLED $6 550, COMPARED WITH THE MARKET VALUE OF $20 000 FOR GOODS SEIZED.