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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 1994
"A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF BUS ROUTES WITH DIFFERENT ORIGINS AND DESTINATIONS PASSING THROUGH THE TUNNEL WAS NEEDED.
THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY FREE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS ΤΟ THE INTERCHANGE TO PREVENT "FREE RIDERS", AND THE BUS ROUTES CONCERNED SHOULD BE RUN BY A SINGLE BUS OPERATOR OTHERWISE THERE WOULD BE DIFFICULTIES OVER THE APPORTIONMENT OF FARES.
UNFORTUNATELY, MR BARMA SAID IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE OR PRACTICAL PROVIDE BUS INTERCHANGES AT OTHER TUNNEL LOCATIONS BECAUSE THESE BASIC CRITERIA COULD NOT BE MET.
ΤΟ
MEDICAL INFLATION HIGHER THAN GENERAL INFLATION
MEDICAL INFLATION TENDS TO EXCEED GENERAL INFLATION DUE То ADVANCEMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MRS ELIZABETH WONG, SAID.
IN ADDITION, USE OF NEW TREATMENT MODALITIES AND THE NEED ΤΟ MEET RISING PUBLIC EXPECTATIONS ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO MEDICAL INFLATION.
IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON EMILY LAU IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY), MRS WONG SAID THE FEES AND FOR PUBLIC MEDICAL SERVICES WERE REVISED ANNUALLY TO REFLECT RISING COSTS.
SHE SAID: "HISTORICALLY, THE DAILY CHARGE FOR HOSPITAL GENERAL WARDS WAS SET AT A LEVEL TO REFLECT THE CATERING COSTS WHILST THE FEES CHARGED BY PUBLIC OUT-PATIENT CLINICS HAD ALWAYS BEEN BASED ON OPERATING COST.
1
OF
THE FEE REVISION FOR GENERAL CLINICS FROM $21 TO $29 THIS YEAR HAS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT A PRICE CHANGE OF 11 PER CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND TWO ONE-OFF FACTORS - ADOPTION OF A COMPREHENSIVE NEW COSTING SYSTEM COVERING ALL CLINICS OPERATED BY THE DEPARTMENT HEALTH AND THE INITIAL REDUCTION IN THROUGHPUT CAUSED BY INTRODUCTION OF UNIT MEDICAL RECORD SYSTEM IN 15 CLINICS
TO ENHANCE PATIENT CARE, SHE ADDED.
THE
AS REGARDS THE EFFECT ON INFLATION OF THE PROPOSED FEE REVISION IN 1993/94, IT WAS ESTIMATED BY THE GOVERNMENT ECONOMIST TO BE A MINIMAL OF 0.0217 PER CENT.
MRS WONG ALSO NOTED THAT FEES CHARGED FOR MEDICAL SERVICES HAD THEIR ORIGINS IN THE POST-WAR YEARS WHEN THEY WERE SET AT NOMINAL LEVELS.
"THE CURRENT
LEVEL OF SUBSIDY FOR HOSPITAL BEDS AT CENT AND FOR GENERAL OUT-PATIENT CLINICS AT 81 PER CENT ARE LEGACY OF THE PAST,' SHE SAID.
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97 PER THUS
A