THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 1987
9
OVERALL REVIEW OF PRIMARY MEDICAL CARE POLICY URGED
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DR THE HON CHIU HIN-KWONG TODAY (THURSDAY) URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO REVIEW THE OVERALL PRIMARY MEDICAL CARE POLICY WITHOUT DELAY.
SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DURING THE SECOND DAY OF THE BUDGET DEBATE, DR CHIU CALLED ON THE RELEVANT GOVERNMENT BRANCH AND DEPARTMENT TO RESET THE PRIORITIES IN THE PROVISION OF MEDICAL AND CARE SERVICES, BEARING IN MIND THAT UNDER A SOUND AND COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH SYSTEM, THE HIGH COST HOSPITAL SERVICES ONLY PLAYED A SUBORDINATE ROLE.
IN VIEW OF THE COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF PRIMARY CARE AND ITS FUNCTION OF KEEPING PATIENTS FROM BEING ADMITTED OR RE-ADMITTED TO HOSPITALS, HE STRONGLY ADVISED THE GOVERNMENT TO IMPROVE PRIMARY CARE BOTH IN TERMS OF QUANTITY AND QUALITY.
DR CHIU SAID PRIMARY CARE SERVICES IN HONG KONG WERE DISEASE- ORIENTED, SUB-STANDARD AND SPORADIC.
*THE FIRST AND FOREMOST PROBLEM I WANT TO POINT OUT IS THAT IN GENERAL OUT-PATIENT CLINICS THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS PROPER MEDICAL RECORDS FOR PATIENTS, NOT TO MENTION THE PERSONAL, CONTINUOUS OR COMPREHENSIVE CARE,+ HE SAID.
SINCE MEDICAL RECORDS FOR INDIVIDUAL PATIENTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE, NO MATTER HOW OFTEN THEY HAD BEEN VISITING THE SAME CLINIC THEY WERE TREATED AS NEW CASES EVERY TIME THEY WENT FOR SERVICES. WORSE STILL, DOCTORS WHO TOOK CARE OF THEM DID NOT HAVE THE FAINTEST IDEAS OF THEIR MEDICAL HISTORY, HE NOTED.
DR CHIU SAID THAT KEEPING MEDICAL RECORDS OF PATIENTS WAS OF FUNDAMENTAL IMPORTANCE. ONE OF THE VITAL USES OF RECORDS WAS TO IDENTIFY AND TO KEEP TRACK OF PATIENTS' DISEASE PATTERNS AND TO ENABLE THE HEALTH AUTHORITY TO PLAN FUTURE MEDICAL SERVICES, NEEDS AND DEPLOYMENT OF RESOURCES EFFECTIVELY.
HE SAID THE SECOND DEFICIENCY WAS THE LACK OF DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP. A CLOSE DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP BUILT OVER YEARS COULD PRODUCE FRANKNESS AND HONESTY WHICH WAS VERY IMPORTANT IN THE INVESTIGATION AND MANAGEMENT OF ILL-HEALTH.
+UNFORTUNATELY, THE THREE-MINUTE MEDICAL CONSULTATION IN OUT-PATIENT CLINICS LEAVES A VACUUM IN THIS AREA,+ HE SAID.
HE ADDED THAT HE MUST CLARIFY THAT IT WAS NOT THAT GOVERNMENT DOCTORS DID NOT CARE ABOUT THEIR PATIENTS, BUT IT WAS BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE THE TIME TO CARE.
/HE SAID
HE SAID .................