7
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1988
MENTAL HEALTH BILL FURTHER IMPROVED
*
THE HON ROSANNA TAM MOVED A NUMBER OF COMMITTEE STAGE AMENDMENTS ΤΟ THE MENTAL HEALTH { AMENDMENT) BILL 1987 IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) AND SAID SHE WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE BILL IN ITS AMENDED FORM WOULD IMPROVE CARE FOR MENTAL PATIENTS WHILE PROTECTING THE PUBLIC.
MRS TAM WHO LED OFF THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE BILL, SAID THE FIRST MAJOR CONTROVERSIAL AREA IN THE BILL WAS THE DEFINITION OF "MENTAL DISORDER".
A LEGCO AD HOC GROUP SET UP TO STUDY THE BILL WAS CONCERNED THAT MENTALLY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE WHO WERE WITHOUT ABNORMALLY AGGRESSIVE OR SERIOUSLY IRRESPONSIBLE CONDUCT WERE LABELLED TOGETHER WITH THOSE MENTALLY ILL PEOPLE WHO SUFFERED FROM A PSYCHOPATHIC DISORDER, OR OTHER DISORDER OR DISABILITY OF MIND, SHE SAID.
THE AD HOC GROUP, OF
THAT
WHICH SHE WAS CONVENER, FELT WITHOUT AGGRESSIVE OR IRRESPONSIBLE CONDUCT SHOULD NOT BE LIABLE TO DETENTION IN A MENTAL HOSPITAL.
MENTALLY HANDICAPPED PERSONS
"AS A RESULT OF EXTENSIVE RESEARCH INTO VARIOUS DEFINITIONS AND IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE NEEDS OF THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF PATIENTS, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS AGREED TO REMOVE LABELLING EFFECT WHICH THIS BILL MAY HAVE HANDICAPPED," SHE SAID.
ANY UNFORTUNATE ON THE MENTALLY
MRS TAM SUBSEQUENTLY MOVED A COMMITTEE STAGE AMENDMENT BILL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS AGREEMENT WITH THE ADMINISTRATION.
SHE ALSO MOVED ANOTHER
AMENDMENT
MENTAL
TO THE
OF
SPELLING OUT THE TYPE PATIENTS LIABLE TO BE DETAINED IN A
HOSPITAL. THE AMENDMENT WOULD ENSURE THAT THOSE WHO WERE WITHOUT AGGRESSIVE OR IRRESPONSIBLE CONDUCT WOULD NOT BE LIABLE TO DETENTION.
ANOTHER AMENDMENT MOVED BY MRS TAM ANSWERED THE CRITICISM THE POWER OF THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE MIGHT BE ABUSED SINCE
APPLICATIONS BILL EMPOWERED THE DIRECTOR BOTH TO ACCEPT AND TO APPOINT HIMSELF AS THE GUARDIAN,
*THAT
THE
GUARDIANSHIP
SHE
SAID THE
AMENDMENT RETAINED THE BENEFIT OF SUCH AN WAS BEST PLACED ARRANGEMENT, IN THAT THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE TO DECIDE ON THE SUITABILITY OF THE NOMINATED GUARDIAN.
ASSURANCE WHAT IT ACHIEVED WAS THE
THAT THE DIRECTOR WOULD WHERE THE GUARDIAN
ONLY ACT AS THE QUARDIAN OF LAST RESORT IN CASES NAMED IN THE GUARDIANSHIP APPLICATION WAS FOUND TO BE NOT SUITABLE. A
/*"IT IS