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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1983
EFFORTS CONSTANTLY MADE TO IMPROVE ACCIDENT SERVICES
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MEASURES ARE CONSTANTLY BEING TAKEN BY THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO IMPROVE ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY SERVICES, IN A BID TO SATISFY THE CONTINUOUS RISING EXPECTATIONS AND INSATIABLE DEMANDS OF THE COMMUNITY, THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR S.F. LAM SAID TODAY.
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON LYDIA DUNN AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, DR LAM SAID THAT ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS IN HOSPITALS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD HAD ONE THING IN COMMON THE SERVICES THEY PROVIDE ARE IN SUCH GREAT DEMAND THAT AS A RESULT, THE STAFF ARE USUALLY OVERWORKED, AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS ARE NO DIFFERENT.+
THE ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS OF REGIONAL HOSPITALS ACT AS THE +LONG-STOP FOR ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY CASES THAT SPILL OVER FROM THE PERIPHERAL AND DISTRICT HOSPITALS, SAID DR LAM.
IN HONG KONG THE GOVERNMENT HAS ADOPTED A POLICY OF NOT TURNING AWAY ANY PATIENT AND ANYONE TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL IS SEEN AND TREATED FIRST AND ASKED QUESTIONS LATER, HE SAID.
ALTHOUGH THE IMPLICATIONS ARE THAT THE STAFF ARE WORKING UNDER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PRESSURE, THE PATIENTS ARE PROVIDED WITH AN EFFICIENT SERVICE, HE ADDED.
SHORT TERM MEASURES TO IMPROVE ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY SERVICES INCLUDE STATIONING A NURSING OFFICER AT THE RECEPTION ROOM TO DETERMINE PRIORITIES SO THAT THE MORE SER FOUSLY ILL OR INJURED ARE TAKEN CARE OF FIRST AND WITHOUT DELAY.
DR LAM SAID THAT WHEN AVAILABLE THE MEDICAL, NURSING, PARAMEDICAL AND TECHNICAL STAFF HAD BEEN INCREASED BOTH IN QUANTITY AND QUALITY.
+OVER THE PAST TWO TO THREE YEARS, MORE SENIOR POSTS OF CONSULTANTS AND SENIOR MEDICAL AND HEALTH OFFICERS HAVE BEEN CREATED, HE SAID.
+ IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE NEED FOR EXPERTISE IN PATIENT CARE AND JUNIOR STAFF SUPERVISION, THESE SENIOR POSTS ALSO SATISFY THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ROYAL COLLEGES OF SURGEONS OF EDINBURGH AND ENGLAND IN ORDER THAT THESE ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS CAN BE ACCREDITED AS POST-GRADUATE TRAINING INSTITUTIONS, HE ADDED.
+SUCH RECOGNITION SIGNIFIES THE ATTAINMENT OF THE HIGHEST STANDARD IN BRITISH MEDICINE,+ SAID DR LAM.
IN THE MEDIUM TERM, MORE SPACIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS HAVE BEEN PLANNED FOR THE ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS IN THE EXTENSIONS OF THE THREE REGIONAL HOSPITALS, THE QUEEN MARY, THE QUEEN ELIZABETH AND THE PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITALS.
/LONG TERM