MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 1993
5
PARAMOUNT, THE
"TO ENSURE THAT GOVERNMENT COMMITMENT REMAINS GOVERNOR IN HIS ADDRESS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL LAST OCTOBER PLEDGED TO INCREASE RECURRENT SPENDING ON HEALTH CARE BY 22 PER CENT IN REAL TERMS BY 1997," MRS WONG RECALLED.
SHE NOTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD SPEND NEARLY $15 BILLION THIS YEAR ON PUBLIC HEALTH CARE SERVICES, REPRESENTING $2,500 FOR EVERY MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD.
THIS IS AN INCREASE OF 7.8 PER CENT OVER LAST YEAR.
THE
SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF ZONTA CLUB OF VICTORIA, HEALTH CHIEF GAVE AN ASSURANCE THAT THE REFORMS OUTLINED IN THE CONSULTATION DOCUMENT "TOWARD BETTER HEALTH" HAD THE INTEREST PATIENTS VERY MUCH IN MIND.
▬▬
FOR EXAMPLE, THE DOCUMENT RECOGNISES THE MANY POOR PATIENTS THE ELDERLY, THE DISABLED, THE CHRONICALLY-ILL UNEMPLOYED PROPOSES SPECIAL WAIVER ARRANGEMENTS FOR THEM.
申甲
OF
AND
"AT PRESENT, THERE IS NO CLEAR-CUT WAIVER SYSTEM AND THESK PATIENTS ENTER HOSPITAL WITH NO CERTAINTY OF ACCESS TO WAIVER, MRS WONG POINTED OUT.
"IF
THE OPTION IN THE CONSULTATION DOCUMENT IS ACCEPTED, THEY WOULD IN FUTURE PAY ONLY HALF THE REGULAR FEE OR, PERHAPS, NOTHING AT ALL,"
SHE SAID, ADDING THAT THIS WAIVER ARRANGEMENT WILL BE AUTOMATIC SO THAT THE PATIENTS NEED NOT APPLY AND BE ASSESSED ON EACH OCCASION.
MRS WONG THEN REFERRED TO ANOTHER GROUP OF PATIENTS WHO WERE AT PRESENT STUCK WITHOUT CHOICE, THE BETTER-OFF PEOPLE WHO DESIRED GREATER PRIVACY AND COMFORT BUT WHO COULD NOT AFFORD HOSPITALS.
"FOR THEM, WE ARE TARGETING A NEW CLASS OF SEMI-PRIVATE
II
IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS, SHE SAID.
PRIVATE
ROOMS
"THEY CAN HAVE THE GREATER COMFORT THEY DESIRE, IF THEY ARB PREPARED TO PAY MORE FOR THE PRIVILEGE; IF NOT, GENERAL WARDS WOULD STILL BE AVAILABLE TO THEM," THE SECRETARY SAID.
SHE STRESSED THAT NOBODY WOULD BE FORCED TO OCCUPY A SEMI- PRIVATE ROOM AND THAT THESE ROOMS WOULD NOT BE PROVIDED AT THE EXPENSE OF GENERAL WARD BEDS.
"IF NO GENERAL WARD BED IS AVAILABLE, ANY PATIENT WHO DEMANDS ONE WILL BE ACCOMMODATED IN A SEMI-PRIVATE ROOM At the GENERAL WARD FEE, MRS WONG SAID.
THE
WHILE SEMI-PRIVATE ROOMS WILL NOT DRAW PATIENTS AWAY FROM PRIVATE HOSPITALS, PATIENTS WILL BE ABLE TO COMPARE FEES BETWEEN TWO.
"THIS SHOULD PROVIDE SOME ELEMENT OF COMPETITION, TO MAKE SECTORS PAY MORE ATTENTION ΤΟ COST-EFFECTIVENESS AND CONSUMERS BETTER VALUE FOR MONEY, MRS WONG SAID.
BOTH
OFFERING
/WHILE DISAPPROVING
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