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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 1986
MR CHAMBERS SAID THAT IN DRAWING UP THE TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE REVIEW THE AUTHORITIES HAD TO TAKE CARE THAT THE CONSULTANTS' BRIEF WAS MANAGEABLE.
+WITH THIS IN MIND, IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE REVIEW SHOULD BE CONFINED TO A STUDY OF THE ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE HOSPITALS, WHERE WEAKNESSES IN THE SYSTEM WERE APPARENT AND WHERE EXPANSION PLANS ARE LIKELY TO IMPOSE EVEN GREATER STRAIN IN THE FUTURE,+ HE SAID.
DEAL ING SEPARATELY WITH OTHER POINTS RAISED BY MEMBERS, HE REFERRED TO THE HON TAI CHIN-WAH'S SUGGESTION THAT UNDER-UTILISED BEDS IN SUBVENTED HOSPITALS BE RE-DESIGNATED FOR USE BY CONVALESCENT PATIENTS AND SAID VARIOUS STEPS HAD BEEN TAKEN TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM OF OVERCROWDING IN ACUTE HOSPITALS.
+THESE INCLUDE THE RE-DESIGNATION OF BEDS BETWEEN SPECIALTIES AND THE PROVISION OF FURTHER STAFF AND FACILITIES IN ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS.+
REFERRING TO DR THE HON CONRAD LAM'S PROPOSAL THAT THE PRIVATISATION OF OUT-PATIENT SERVICES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED, HE SAID A SIMILAR SUGGESTION WAS MADE LAST YEAR, BUT THERE WERE GOOD REASONS WHY THIS SERVICE SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE OPERATED BY THE GOVERNMENT.
+THE OUT-PATIENT CLINICS PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF EPIDEMIC AND ENDEMIC DISEASES. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH FUNCTION, WHICH IN LINE WITH INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE CARRIED OUT BY THE GOVERNMENT.+
ON DR THE HON HENRIETTA IP'S QUERY WHETHER CONTINUANCE OF THE SCHOOL MEDICAL SERVICE WAS JUSTIFIED, MR CHAMBERS SAID IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN PARTICIPATING HAD RISEN FROM 170 000 TO 349 000.
EACH CHILD MADE AN AVERAGE OF THREE VISITS A YEAR TO THE DOCTOR WHICH IN TURN MEANT OVER A MILLION ATTENDANCES, WHICH WAS 20 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL ATTENDANCES AT GOVERNMENT OUT-PATIENT CLINICS.
+CONSIDERABLE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WOULD BE REQUIRED IF THE EXISTING NETWORK OF GOVERNMENT OUT-PATIENT CLINICS HAD TO ABSORB THIS EXTRA WORKLOAD. WHILE I ACCEPT THAT THE EXISTING PARTICIPATION RATE OF 44 PER CENT OF ALL ELIGIBLE SCHOOL CHILDREN COULD BE IMPROVED I BELIEVE THE SCHEME STILL PLAYS A VERY USEFUL ROLE IN THE HEALTH CARE OF OUR YOUNG POPULATION AND SHOULD BE RETAINED.-
TURNING TO SOCIAL WELFARE, MR CHAMBERS NOTED THAT SEVERAL MEMBERS HAD POINTED TO SHORTFALLS IN THE PROVISION OF VARIOUS WELFARE SERVICES AND QUESTIONED WHETHER THERE WAS A GOVERNMENT COMMITMENT TO WELFARE IN THE SAME SENSE THAT THERE WAS A COMMITMENT TO THE PROVISION OF SCHOOL PLACES AND HOUSING UNITS.
/+I WOULD