MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1984
7
60 000 HAND INJURIES IN ONE YEAR
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ABOUT 60 000 CASES OF HAND INJURIES ARE SEEN EACH YEAR AT THE ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS IN MAJOR HOSPITALS IN HONG KONG.
THIS WAS DISCLOSED TODAY BY DR K.L. THONG, DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES. WHEN HE ADDRESSED THE FIRST CONGRESS OF THE HAND SECTION OF THE WESTERN PACIFIC ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATION TODAY (MONDAY).
THE CONGRESS, WHICH DEALS WITH HAND INJURIES, IS BEING HELD IN HONG KONG FOR THREE DAYS FROM TODAY. IT HAS ATTRACTED OVER 200 DELEGATES FROM 17 COUNTRIES IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC REGION.
DR THONG SAID THAT 40 000 OF THE HAND CASES WERE RELATED TO WORK INJURIES.
THIS PROBLEM, HE FELT WAS OF NO LESS IMPORTANCE AND GRAVITY IN MANY OTHER COUNTRIES+, ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, ALTHOUGH THERE MIGHT BE REGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN THE PRESENTATION OF A SIMILAR CONDITION.
DR THONG SAID THAT HAND SURGERY HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN REGARDED AS A BRANCH OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY.
*WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF PLASTIC RE-CONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY, THIS SPECIALTY HAS COME TO THE FORE AND NO DOUBT MAY LAY CLAIM TO BEING A SPECIALTY OF ITS OWN,+ HE SAID.
WITH THE MODERN ADVANCES IN MEDICINE, THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT THERE MUST BE A TREND IN BRINGING ABOUT MORE SPECIALISATION AND PROGRESSIVE UPGRADING OF STANDARDS, HE SAID.
HOWEVER, HE STRESSED THAT THIS TREND WOULD HAVE TO BE INTRODUCED IN A REALISTIC WAY WITHIN THE RESOURCES AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF EACH COUNTRY SO AS NOT TO JEOPARDISE THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES AS A WHOLE.
+THE FINANCIAL AND MANPOWER RESOURCES WITHIN ANY SERVICE CANNOT BE UNLIMITED, HE SAID.
DR THONG SAID THAT THE RIGHT BALANCE HAD TO BE MAINTAINED BETWEEN GENERAL ISATION AND SPECIALISATION, TO OBTAIN THE MAXIMUM BENEFIT FROM WHAT WAS AVAILABLE.
IN HONG KONG, HE SAID, A +VERY PRACTICAL AND REALISTIC APPROACH+ HAD BEEN ADOPTED IN THAT SPECIALISATION WAS ENCOURAGED WITHIN THE GENERAL SERVICE.
THUS, HE EXPLAINED, THERE WERE UROLOGISTS WITHIN A SURGICAL UNIT, CARDIOLOGISTS WITHIN A MEDICAL UNIT AND HAND SURGEONS CONTRIBUTING THEIR EXPERTISE AMONG ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS.
HE EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE THAT LOCAL PROFESSIONALS WOULD BE MORE THAN ABLE TO MEET THE CHALLENGE OF THE FUTURE AND TO MAINTAIN THE BALANCE BETWEEN THE NEED TO FULFIL DEMAND IN BOTH QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF THE SERVICE.