THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 1984
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THE ENGLISH LAW COMMISSION, HE SAID, HAD RECENTLY QUESTIONED WHETHER THE RESTRICTION IN ITS PRESENT FORM SERVED ANY USEFUL SOCIAL PURPOSE.
+IT CONCLUDED THAT A RESTRICTION ON PETITIONS FOR DIVORCE IN THE EARLY YEARS OF MARRIAGE SHOULD BE RETAINED, AND WENT ON TO RECOMMEND THAT THE PRESENT RESTRICTION SHOULD BE REPLACED BY AN ABSOLUTE BAR ON PETITIONS FOR ONE YEAR FROM THE DATE OF MARRIAGE.
*THIS IS ANOTHER MATTER THAT PERHAPS WE OUGHT TO LOOK AT HERE, AND CONSIDERATION IS BEING GIVEN AS TO WHETHER IT IS AN APPROPRIATE MATTER FOR THE LAW REFORM COMMISSION TO EXAMINE,+ HE SAID.
PATIENTS' PREFERENCE A FACTOR IN HOSPITAL OCCUPANCY: THONG
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PATIENTS' PREFERENCE FOR CERTAIN HOSPITALS WAS ONE OF THE MAIN FACTORS AFFECTING OCCUPANCY RATES IN SOME SUBVENTED HOSPITALS, THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR K.L. THONG, SAID TODAY.
ANOTHER FACTOR WAS THE NATURE OF THE SERVICES BEING PROVIDED, OWING TO THE CHANGING PATTERN OF DISEASES, HE EXPLAINED.
DR THONG WAS REPLYING, IN WRITING, TO A QUESTION AT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING TODAY, CONCERNING THE FACTORS PREVENTING SUBVENTED HOSPITALS, SUCH AS THE HONG KONG BUDDHIST HOSPITAL, THE ALICE HO MUT LING NETHERSOLE HOSPITAL AND THE TUNG WAH GROUP OF HOSPITALS, FROM IMPROVING THEIR BED OCCUPANCY RATE, SO THAT THE PRESSURE ON GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS COULD BE RELIEVED.
DR THONG SAID, HOWEVER, THAT MEASURES WERE BEING TAKEN IN SOME CASES TO REDISTRIBUTE THOSE BEDS WHICH HAVE A LOW OCCUPANCY RATE TO SPECIALTIES WHICH HAVE A HIGHER DEMAND, SUCH AS IN THE HONG KONG BUDDHIST HOSPITAL AND THE KWONG WAH HOSPITAL.
ANOTHER MEASURE, HE SAID, WAS TO CHANGE THE USE OF CERTAIN WARDS TO OTHER USES, SUCH AS IN THE DUCHESS OF KENT CHILDREN'S ORTHOPAEDIC HOSPITAL.
DR THONG ALSO EXPLAINED THAT IN GENERAL, SUBVENTED HOSPITALS, AS IDE FROM THE UNITED CHRISTIAN HOSPITAL, THE CARITAS MEDICAL CENTRE AND THE KWONG WAH HOSPITAL, ARE DISTRICT HOSPITALS WHICH ARE NOT DESIGNED TO DEAL WITH VERY ACUTE CASES REQUIRING SOPHISTICATED FACILITIES FOUND IN GOVERNMENT REGIONAL HOSPITALS.
+THUS,✦ HE SAID AMONG THE SUBVENTED HOSPITALS THEMSELVES, THE OCCUPANCY RATES DIFFER.
+ IN THE THREE SUBVENTED HOSPITALS WHICH I HAVE JUST MENTIONED, THE OCCUPANCY RATES RANGE FROM 75 PER CENT TO 90 PER CENT, WHICH ARE CONSIDERED TO BE QUITE SATISFACTORY.+
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