THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1988
13
PRIMARY HEALTH CARE PERHAPS CONTRIBUTED AN EVEN MORE IMPORTANT ASPECT, BECAUSE A PROPERLY RUN AND AN EFFICIENT PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SYSTEM WOULD DECREASE THE NEED FOR HOSPITAL SERVICE.
"UNFORTUNATELY, THE CURRENT PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SYSTEM OF OUT-PATIENT CLINICS RUN BY GOVERNMENT IS INADEQUATE, HE SAID.
"I
"IT FAILS TO PROVIDE THE CARE, CONFIDENCE AND TREATMENT THAT ANY SUFFERER YEARNS FOR," HE ADDED.
DR LEONG SUGGESTED THAT WHILST REVAMPING THE HOSPITAL SERVICE, THE ADMINISTRATION SHOULD TAKE A MORE REALISTIC LOOK AT PRIMARY HEALTH CARE, AND THIS WAS PERHAPS AN AREA THAT THE "THINK TANK" COULD LOOK INTO.
DR LEONG WAS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE OVER-SUPPLY OF MANPOWER IN THE DENTAL PROFESSION. HE REFERRED TO A RECENT ANALYSIS BY THE DENTAL SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE. WHICH SHOWED THAT IF THE RATE OF GROWTH OF DENTISTS REMAINED UNCHANGED, THERE WOULD BE AN EXCESS OF OVER 400 DENTISTS IN HONG KONG BY THE YEAR 2000.
HE CONSIDERED IT THE GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSIBILITY ΤΟ PROPERLY TO PROVIDE ENOUGHT JOBS FOR DENTAL GRADUATES AND BLAMED ADMINISTRATION AND THE PLANNERS OF THE DENTAL SCHOOL FOR ADEQUATELY STUDYING THE ACTUAL NEED FOR DENTAL CARE.
PLAN
THE
NOT
"THEY FAILED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE INDIFFERENCE IN DENTAL CARE NEEDS OF OUR POPULATION, HE SAID.
用申
TERRITORY-WIDE
"FURTHERMORE, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN AN ORGANISED EDUCATION PROGRAMME ON DENTAL HEALTH CARE TO AROUSE THE PUBLIC'S INTEREST IN THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ASPECT OF HEALTH CARE.
H
HE ADDED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT THAT A GOOD PERCENTAGE OF DENTAL WORK WAS PERFORMED BY ILLEGAL "DENTISTS" WITH UNCONTROLLABLE STANDARDS WHO FREQUENTLY PRODUCED A SOURCE OF HARM.
DR LEONG MAINTAINED THAT SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE WITH EXTREME
URGENCY.
HE SUGGESTED THAT A GOOD AND EFFECTIVE CONTROL OF PEOPLE PRACTISING ILLEGAL DENTISTRY MUST BE ESTABLISHED.
THE DENTAL SCHOOL SHOULD ALSO FACE THE REALITY THAT AN EFFECTIVE REDUCTION IN DENTAL STUDENT INTAKE WAS A NECESSITY.
EFFECT,
"WHAT IS MORE EFFECTIVE, WITH IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM
OF THE IS FOR GOVERNMENT TO MAKE THE PUBLIC AWARE
NEED FOR PROPER DENTAL HEALTH CARE THROUGH A SYSTEM OF WELL ORGANISED DENTAL EDUCATION," HE SAID, ADDING THAT SPECIAL CONSIDERATION SHOULD GIVEN TO THE SUGGESTION OF EXPANDING THE SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE.
BE
/DR LEONG