WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1986
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+THE LOCAL VOICE IN EACH REGION WOULD BE HEARD, A CHAIN OF ACCOUNTABILITY WOULD BE ESTABLISHED THROUGHOUT THE ADMINISTRATION, AND THERE WOULD BE A DEGREE OF PUBLIC SCRUTINY WHICH IS NOT POSSIBLE AT PRESENT,+ HE SAID.
ON PROPOSALS TO MAKE BETTER USE OF UNDER-UTILISED HOSPITALS, MR CHENG SAID THAT THIS MIGHT PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEFER NEW HOSPITAL PROJECTS.
+WITH GROWING POPULATION AND INCREASING NEED, WE MUST THINK HARD BEFORE DEFERRING ANY OF THESE PROJECTS,+ HE NOTED.
MR CHENG SAID HE AGREED THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO PROVIDE ACCOMMODATION OF A STANDARD BETTER THAN THE THIRD CLASS WARDS BUT LESS EXPENSIVE THAN THE SEMI-PRIVATE ONES.
HOWEVER, HE SAID IT MUST NOT BE DONE AT THE EXPENSE OF THIRD-CLASS BEDS WHICH SERVED THE MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION.
ON THE AMBULANCE SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT. MR CHENG SUGGESTED THAT MORE SHOULD BE REQUIRED OF SUCH A SERVICE THAN MERELY +PROVIDING TRANSPORT+ FOR PATIENTS AS REFERRED TO BY THE REPORT.
+THIS IS AN AREA WHICH CLEARLY NEEDS MORE CONSIDERATION THAN HAS BEEN GIVEN, POSSIBLY DUE TO LIMITATIONS IN THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE REPORT, HE SAID.
MI SUNDERSTANDING OVER REPORT'S AIMS *****
A SERIOUS MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE REPORT ON THE DELIVERY OF MEDICAL SERVICES IN HOSPITALS WAS THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS TRYING TO REDUCE ITS RESPONSIBILITIES IN PROVIDING MEDICAL SERVICES, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LOWER INCOME GROUPS, THE HON HILTON CHEONG-LEEN TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING IN THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE REPORT, MR CHEONG-LEEN SAID HE WAS REASSURED BY STATEMENTS MADE BY OFFICIALS AT MEETINGS OF THE OMELCO HEALTH SERVICES PANEL THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS TOTALLY COMMITTED TO STEADILY IMPROVING MEDICAL SERVICES, PROVIDING FULLY SUBSIDISED MEDICAL SERVICES FOR THE NEEDY BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, MAINTAINING A MORE EFFICIENT, MORE CARING AND MORE RESPONSIBLE MEDICAL SERVICE STRUCTURE AND STAFF.
/HE SUPPORTED