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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1994
THERE ARE CLEAR EXAMPLES OF HOW WE ARE MOVING TOWARDS A PEOPLE- BASED AND DISEASE-PREVENTION APPROACH. THESE ARE
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OUR CONTINUING AND PROGRESSIVE RESTRICTIONS ON THE PROMOTION AND USE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS;
THE OPENING OF WOMAN HEALTH CENTRES AND ELDERLY HEALTH CENTRES;
THE INTRODUCTION OF A NEW STUDENT HEALTH SERVICE TO PROMOTE THE HEALTH OF SCHOOL CHILDREN THROUGH REGULAR SCREENING, PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS AND HEALTH EDUCATION; AND
THE INTRODUCTION OF PATIENT SUPPORT GROUPS AND PATIENT RESOURCE CENTRES TO PROVIDE PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT ΤΟ THE CHRONICALLY ILL.
SOME OF THESE NEW SERVICES WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME INTEGRATED INTO THE ACTIVITIES OF ALL OUR GOVERNMENT OUT-PATIENT CLINICS. IN THIS WAY A NEW CULTURE OF DISEASE PREVENTION AND THE PROMOTION OF HEALTHY LIFESTYLES WILL DEVELOP.
THE
WE WILL NOT STOP THERE. TOGETHER WITH THE DIRECTOR OF HEALTH, HOSPITAL AUTHORITY AND IN CONSULTATION WITH OUR EXPERT ADVISORY BODIES, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP MORE NEW INITIATIVES THAT WILL ADDRESS IN PARTICULAR THE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THE THREE MAJOR KILLER DISEASES, THAT IS CANCER, HEART DISEASE AND STROKE.
AIDS
TWO MEMBERS HAVE PROPOSED THAT AN INDEPENDENT HIGH-LEVEL COUNCIL OR COMMITTEE BE SET UP TO FORMULATE POLICY ON AIDS.
THE ADVISORY COUNCIL ON AIDS, WHICH WAS RESTRUCTURED IN 1993, HAS WORKED EXTREMELY HARD AND HAS GIVEN MUCH SOUND ADVICE. I CONSIDER THAT IT WOULD BE PREMATURE TO DISMANTLE SUCH AN EFFECTIVE BODY. HOWEVER, I WELCOME SUGGESTIONS ON THE FUTURE ROLE AND STRUCTURE OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL ON AIDS. IN THE MEANTIME, WE SHALL CONTINUE TO GIVE THE COUNCIL OUR FULL SUPPORT.
TSEUNG KWAN O HOSPITAL
COSTING $1.2 BILLION IN CAPITAL EXPENDITURE AND ABOUT $500 MILLION IN ANNUAL RECURRENT EXPENDITURE, THE TSEUNG KWAN O HOSPITAL IS A MAJOR POLICY COMMITMENT BY ANY STANDARD. OUR DECISION TO GO AHEAD WITH ITS CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN WELCOMED BY MANY HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL, NOTABLY DR CONRAD LAM, DR LEONG CHE-HUNG AND MR ANDREW WONG. THE CLEAR NEED FOR THIS NEW PROJECT WAS IDENTIFIED THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITY AND SUBSEQUENTLY REINFORCED BY WIDESPREAD PUBLIC SUPPORT. THE SUGGESTION THAT THIS PROJECT IS THE OUTCOME OF POLITICAL BARGAINING IS THEREFORE COMPLETELY UNFOUNDED.
SOME MEMBERS HAVE ASKED WHETHER IT IS POSSIBLE то IMPLEMENT THIS PROJECT ON THE TIMING PROPOSED, PARTICULARLY IN RESPECT OF MANPOWER AVAILABILITY. I CAN ASSURE THEM THAT THIS PROJECT IS BEING TACKLED BY THE ADMINISTRATION AS A PRIORITY TASK.
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