WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 1989.
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MR LEE SAID HE WISHED TO THANK GOVERNMENT DOCTORS AND NURSES FOR HAVING DRAWN THE PUBLIC'S ATTENTION TO THESE PROBLEMS AND HE SALUTED THEM FOR HAVING DONE SO MUCH FOR THEIR PATIENTS UNDER SUCH TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES AND FOR STILL REMAINING IN GOVERNMENT SERVICE.
HE REGRETTED, HOWEVER, THAT THE CONSUMER COUNCIL COULD NOT GIVE ITS SUPPORT BECAUSE IT HAD NO JURISDICTION OVER SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT UNDER THE CONSUMER COUNCIL ORDINANCE.
TRADE UNION TACTICS COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE
THE TRADE UNION TACTICS ADOPTED BY GOVERNMENT DOCTORS CAN ONLY BE COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE, AND ARE CONTRARY ΤΟ
THE SPIRIT OF THE HIPPOCRATIC OATH, THE HON JAMES TIEN SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING IN THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES IN PUBLIC SECTOR HOSPITALS, MR TIEN SAID THAT WHILE HE AGREED CONDITIONS IN HOSPITALS WERE INADEQUATE, THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT BE INTIMIDATED BY THREATS OF INDUSTRIAL ACTION.
THE QUESTION OF A SHORTAGE OF RESOURCES IN THE MEDICAL FIELD WAS A QUESTION OF MEDICAL POLICY, HE SAID.
"WHILE ON MEDICAL QUESTIONS MEDICAL PEOPLE ARE THE PROFESSIONALS, ON HIGH POLICY QUESTIONS THEY MAY BE RATHER TOO SELF-INTERESTED, HE COMMENTED.
MR TIEN NOTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S PROVISIONAL SOLUTIONS INCLUDED THE CREATION OF 74 SENIOR POSTS AND 32 CONSULTANT POSTS, AND A FURTHER 5,000 BEDS IN FOUR YEARS WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT STAFF.
THE
HE SUGGESTED THAT, GIVEN THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SITUATION, GOVERNMENT SHOULD FIRSTLY TRAIN MORE DOCTORS FROM THE UNIVERSITIES OVER AND ABOVE THE 290 PRODUCED ANNUALLY NOW.
"WITHOUT TAKING THE WASTAGE FACTOR INTO CONSIDERATION, WE SHALL NEED UP TO 1,000 MORE DOCTORS TO ATTEND TO THE EXTRA 5,000 BEDS DUE BY 1992," HE SAID.
EXPANSION
MR TIEN SUGGESTED THAT SECONDLY, IF
IN THE UNIVERSITIES IN THE NEAR FUTURE WAS IMPOSSIBLE, THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONSIDER "BUYING PLACES" AT OVERSEAS UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCHOOLS.
"SUBJECT TO ADEQUATE SAFEGUARDS WE COULD, WITH LOANS AND GRANTS, SEND YOUNG PEOPLE FOR TRAINING AS DOCTORS, ON CONDITION THEY RETURNED TO HONG KONG ON COMPLETION OF THEIR STUDIES, HE SAID.
F
/MR TIEN