WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1271
HOWEVER, I AM SURE THE REVIEW COMMITTEE, TO WHICH I HAVE JUST REFERRED, WILL BE LOOKING AT THE OVERALL SCHEME OF THINGS, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT HONOURABLE MEMBERS' SENTIMENTS AND THE MANY VALUABLE HUGGESTIONS MADE ON THIS. INDEED, AS SOME OF YOU HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED THERE MAY BE BETTER ALTERNATIVES AND VIABLE OPTIONS. WE MUST LOOK AT THE PROBLEM FROM THE LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE POINT OF VIEW.
ON HEALTH CARE, AT PRESENT, SOME 9% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION OF PEOPLE AGED 65 AND ABOVE ACCOUNT FOR 21.5% OF ALL GENERAL OUT-PATIENT ATTENDANCES AND 40% OF ALL IN-PATIENTS IN THE PUBLIC HOSPITALS. WE ESTIMATE THAT ON A PER CAPITA BASIS, THE ELDERLY CONSUMES THREE TIMES "ORE RESOURCES FOR HEALTH CARE.
TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE ELDERLY AND REDUCE THEIR ¡EPENDENCE ON HOSPITAL SERVICES, WE BELIEVE THE ELDERLY PEOPLE SHOULD BE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TARGET GROUPS FOR RECEIVING PRIMARY HEALTH CARE. WE AIM TO INTRODUCE, ON A PILOT BASIS, SCREENING SERVICES FOR THOSE WHO ATTENDED GOP CLINICS. A HEALTH CENTRE FOR THE ELDERLY WOULD ALSO BE ESTABLISHED IN KWUN TONG. OUR HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMMES WOULD ALSO EMPHASIZE MORE ON COMMON ELDERLY HEALTH PROBLEMS INCLUDING DIABETES AND CARDIAC PROBLEMS AND SO ON. IF THE ELDERLY KNOW MORE ABOUT SELF CARE AND DIET CONTROL, THEY CAN CERTAINLY PARTICIPATE IN MAINTAINING THEIR OWN HEALTH,
AS REGARDS THE NEED OF REFORM, I AM GUIDED BY THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE COMMUNITY. REFORM WE MUST. IN FACT WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A MAJOR REFORM AND BIG DEBATE AND I AM VERY GRATEFUL FOR MANY OF THE HONOURABLE MEMBERS' SUPPORT ON THIS WHICH STARTED WITH HOSPITAL AUTHORITY. WE ARE REVAMPING PRIMARY HEALTH CARE, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE MEDICAL INSURANCE OPTIONS. CHANGE MUST BE PROPERLY AND CAREFULLY MANAGED. I THINK MEMBERS WILL BE PLEASED TO KNOW THAT I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR MANY OF YOUR PRE-MEDICAL ADVICE WHICH WILL BE ENABLING ME TO DEVISE A BETTER SYSTEM TO BETTER THE HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY. TODAY I THINK I'D CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT BLOOD VESSELS AND BLOOD PRESSURE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
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SOME MEMBERS HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THE LACK OF NURSING MANPOWER, ESPECIALLY FOR ELDERLY SERVICES IN INFIRMARIES OR CARE AND ATTENTION HOMES AND COMMUNITY NURSING. SHORTAGE OF NURSES IS NO SIMPLE PROBLEM. IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, A WHOLE RANGE OF MEASURES HAS BEEN TAKEN TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM. WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO OUR BEST IN THIS IN SEARCH OF FURTHER MEASURES TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM. AGAIN I MUST SAY. I AM VERY GRATEFUL FOR SOME OF THE VERY IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS. IN RECENT MONTHS INDEED I HAVE RECEIVED PERSONAL LETTERS, A SPATE OF INTERESTING SUGGESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE TODAY'S OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THEM ONE AND ALL FOR THEIR MEANINGFUL AND WISE COUNSEL. IT SHOWS SOCIETY AS A WHOLE WANTS TO RESOLVE A PROBLEM WHICH CONCERNS US.
I ECHO HONOURABLE MEMBERS' CALL TO RESPECT OUR ELDERLY CITIZENS. AS MENTIONED BY MANY MEMBERS, I THINK IT IS A REGRETTABLE REFLECTION OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT MORE AND MORE ELDERLY PEOPLE APPEAR TO BE REJECTED BY THEIR FAMILY AND DUMPED ONTO THE LAP OF PUBLIC CARE OR NO CARE AT ALL. A SOCIETY IS LOOKED AT FROM THE WAY WE TREAT OUR HANDICAPPED PEOPLE, OUR ELDERLY AND THOSE LESS FORTUNATE THAN WE ARE. LET US RESPECT THEM NOT ONLY WITH WORDS BUT WITH INDIVIDUAL ACTION.
/NEXT MONTH
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