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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1986
DR CHIU SAID THAT POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING HAD BECOME A PREREQUISITE FOR ENSURING AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF MEDICAL CARE WAS PROVIDED TO THE COMMUNITY.
HE SAID THAT AN AUTHORITY SUCH AS AN ACADEMY OF MEDICINE COULD OVERSEE POSTGRADUATE PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMMES, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME IT WOULD FORMULATE PLANS FOR THE ACCREDITATION OF THE STANDARD OF SPECIALIST SERVICE AND TRAINING, AND ENSURE THAT THE QUALIFICATIONS OF DOCTORS IN HONG KONG WOULD MEASURE UP TO INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS.
DR CHIU URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE FUNDING AND SUPPORT FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SUCH AN ACADEMY BUT STRESSED THAT THE ACCEPTANCE OF PUBLIC FUNDS SHOULD IN NO WAY COMPROMISE ITS STATUS OF AUTONOMY AND THAT IT SHOULD BE ACCORDED AN APPROPRIATE DEGREE OF PROFESSIONAL FREEDOM.
IN THIS REGARD, HE INSISTED THAT THE FOLLOWING THREE POINTS MUST BE MET: FIRST, THE ACADEMY SHOULD BE AN AUTONOMOUS AND STATUTORY BODY, COMPLETELY FREE FROM GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE; SECOND, ITS STANDARDS SHOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE LOCAL MEDICAL PROFESSION AND INTERNATIONAL AUTHORITIES; AND THIRD, INTERNATIONAL LINKS WITH OVERSEAS MEDICAL CENTRES AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES MUST BE PROMOTED FOR THE EXCHANGE OF MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE AND RECIPROCAL RECOGNITION.
+ONLY IN THIS WAY CAN WE ENSURE THAT THE NEEDS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE IN THE MEDICAL ASPECTS WILL BE MET IN THE YEARS TO COME,+ HE SAID.
TURNING TO THE PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL MEDICAL PRACTICES AND MEDICAL ADVERTISEMENTS, DR CHIU NOTED WITH PLEASURE THAT THE ADMINISTRATION WAS NOW WORKING ON PROPOSALS TO AMEND EXISTING LAWS TO CLOSE LOOPHOLES AND TO MAKE THEM MORE EFFECTIVE.
HE SAID THAT ENFORCEMENT AND PROSECUTION WERE EQUALLY IMPORTANT IN THIS AREA.
AT PRESENT, A NUMBER OF BODIES WITH THE MEDICAL PROFESSION WERE SEPARATELY EXERCISING THEIR INDIVIDUAL STATUTORY POWERS TO HANDLE THE CASES WITHIN THEIR JURISDICTION, HE SAID.
HE CONSIDERED IT NECESSARY TO ESTABLISH A CENTRAL STATUTORY BODY TO CO-ORDINATE THESE BOARDS AND COUNCILS AND TO STREAMLINE THE ENFORCEMENT OF VARIOUS ORDINANCES AGAINST ILLEGAL PRACTICES.
HE ALSO THOUGHT THAT MORE ACTIVE MEASURES SHOULD BE TAKEN TO PROSECUTE OFFENDERS. A CENTRAL COMPLAINT SECTION COULD BE SET UP UNDER THE STATUTORY BODY TO HANDLE COMPLAINTS FROM THE PUBLIC CONCERNING ILLEGAL MEDICAL PRACTICES, UNDESIRABLE MEDICAL ADVERTISEMENTS AND RELATED MATTERS.
/DR CHIU