WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 1986
28
PROVIDENT FUND BEING REASSESSED *****
A REASSESSMENT OF THE ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND IS NEARING COMPLETION, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON NEIL HENDERSON, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
J
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON PANG CHUN-HOI, MR HENDERSON SAID: +WHEN THAT EXERCISE IS COMPLETED, WE SHALL I HOPE BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO CONSIDER, IN CONSULTATION WITH INTERESTED BODIES, WHETHER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND IN HONG KONG WOULD BE DESIRABLE+.
HOSPITAL PATIENTS HAVE FREEDOM OF CHOICE
*****
PATIENTS HAVE THE FREEDOM TO DECIDE IN WHICH HOSPITAL THEY WISH TO BE TREATED AND WERE FREE TO TERMINATE THEIR STAY IN HOSPITAL IF THEY SO WISHED.
THIS WAS EXPLAINED BY THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON JOHN CHAMBERS, TODAY (WEDNESDAY) IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON CONRAD LAM.
ON REASONS WHY INDIVIDUAL PATIENTS CHOSE TO DISCHARGE THEMSELVES FROM HOSPITALS, MR CHAMBERS SAID IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO GIVE ANY RELIABLE INDICATION AS PATIENTS COULD NOT BE COMPELLED TO GIVE THEIR REASONS AND EVEN IF ASKED WOULD NOT NECESSARILY GIVE CORRECT ANSWERS.
MR CHAMBERS SAID THAT SEVEN GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS - QUEEN MARY, QUEEN ELIZABETH, PRINCE OF WALES, PRINCESS MARGARET, KOWLOON, TANG SHIU KIN AND TSAN YUK - WHICH ACCOUNTED FOR ABOUT 90 PER CENT OF ALL IN-PATIENTS TREATED IN GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS MAINTAINED COMPUTERISED RECORDS.
THE NUMBERS OF PATIENTS DISCHARGED AGAINST MEDICAL ADVICE IN THESE HOSPITALS WERE 20 900 IN 1983, 17 600 IN 1984 AND 12 300 FOR JANUARY TO SEPTEMBER 1985. THESE FIGURES REPRESENTED FOUR TO FIVE PER CENT OF TOTAL DISCHARGES.
MR CHAMBERS NOTED IN HIS REPLY THAT SUCH DATA WERE NOT COLLECTED AS A MATTER OF ROUTINE FOR STATISTICAL PURPOSES AND IN THE TIME AVAILABLE IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO OBTAIN FIGURES FROM SUBVENTED HOSPITALS. HOWEVER, THEY WOULD BE GIVEN TO DR LAM WHEN AVAILABLE.
/29
Page 30Page 31