10
WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1990
THE MOST
HEALTH
TO BE
MRS WONG SAID BEFORE A DECISION COULD BE REACHED ON
AND MEDICAL ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR ACCEPTABLE SERVICES, THE MERITS AND DEMERITS OF EACH APPROACH WOULD HAVE
IN
ΤΟ REGARD DETAIL HAVING CONSIDERED
THE GOVERNMENT'S STANDING POLICY TO PROVIDE SUBSIDISED QUALITY HEALTH CARE SERVICES THE COMMUNITY AND THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC REALITIES OF A LOW TAX SYSTEM.
LONG
TO
CHARGES WERE SHE REITERATED THAT AS FAR AS HOSPITAL FEES AND
THE GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT CONCERNED,
ABDICATE ITS FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITY AND THAT THE PROCESS
THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITY WAS NOT A
SETTING UP
PRIVATISATION.
MOVE
OF TOWARDS
AUTHORITY, THE
BE
NEW ARE
"WITH THE PROPOSED SETTING UP OF THE HOSPITAL GOVERNMENT WILL RETAIN ADEQUATE POWERS OVER THE LEVEL OF FEES TO
TAKE PLACE UNTIL CHARGED
NO REAL INCREASES IN FEES WILL AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR
UNTIL THERE FEE WAIVER ARE PUT IN PLACE AND DEMONSTRABLE IMPROVEMENTS, MRS WONG SAID.
"
THE SECRETARY NOTED THAT THE DECISION TO ESTABLISH THE HOSPITAL TAKEN AUTHORITY HAD TAKEN A NUMBER OF YEARS TO REACH AND HAD NOT BEEN LIGHTLY.
AND TRAINING PER ANNUM IN
"THE SETTING UP AND IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW REFORMS IMPROVEMENTS TO THE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE INCLUDING SOME NEW OPPORTUNITIES
TODAY'S PRICES WILL COST $2 BILLION AT ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURE AND CASH OUTFLOW," SHE SAID.
OF
SHE SAID THAT IN DECIDING TO PROCEED WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITY, THE ADMINISTRATION HAD COMMITTED ITSELF TO THE INTEGRATION OF THE PUBLIC HOSPITAL SYSTEM, WHICH WOULD BE ACHIEVED BY OF A BRINGING GOVERNMENT AND SUBVENTED HOSPITALS UNDER THE UMBRELLA SINGLE AUTHORITY AND BY PROVIDING COMMON TERMS OF SERVICE FOR STAFF IN THE TWO SECTORS.
WILL
SOME
SECTORS WHILE INTEGRATION OF THE TWO HOSPITAL "HOWEVER, TAKE PLACE AS SOON AS THE AUTHORITY IS ESTABLISHED, IT WILL BE YEARS BEFORE ALL STAFF WILL BE EMPLOYED ON THE SAME TERMS OF SERVICE.
"THIS
**
ARISES BECAUSE, IN THE INTERESTS OF ENSURING TRANSITION TO THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS UNDERTAKING THAT STAFF SHOULD HAVE THE OPTION OF RETAINING TERMS, SHE SAID.
A
SMOOTH GIVEN AN CURRENT
WOULD
NOT
IDEAL,
MRS WONG SAID THAT FOR SOME TIME THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITY BE FACED WITH
ALTHOUGH A MIXED STAFF SITUATION WHICH, SHOULD NOT PREVENT IT FROM ACHIEVING ITS OBJECTIVES.
"THE AUTHORITY'S TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT HAVE BEEN DESIGNED ON BASIS THAT THE OVERALL COST SHOULD REMAIN COMPARABLE TO THAT OF SERVICE TERMS.
THE CIVIL
·
THIS 'WITHIN
ATTRACTIVE
WHICH TERMS.
WOULD
CONSTRAINT, THE NEW PACKAGE FEATURES, SUCH AS ENCASHMENT OF CERTAIN
NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR THOSE REMAINING
ON
SEVERAL INCLUDES FRINGE BENEFITS
CIVIL SERVICE
+
"WHETHER THE
+