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Friday, March 15, 1974

PUBLIC COMMENT ON MEDICAL GREEN PAPER

Will Be Carefully Studied

Pull consideration will be given to the public's views on the

report of the liedical Development Advisory Committee before government

policy is finally determined later this year and set out in a White Paper.

This assurance was given today by the Colonial Secretary, Mr. Denys

Roberts, when he officially opened the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals*

Centenary Block: in Western District, which marks the Group's 100th anniversary.

As was hoped, the green paper on the report provoked widespread

public comment and reaction, Mr. Roberts noted. "Indeed, it is a sign of

the healthy development of our society that it has aroused so much interect

and been so keenly debated."

llo ennisised that the government is not complacent about the standard

of medicine in Hong Kong, and although standards are good and compare

favourably with most countries, "we are determined to improve it."

The government, he added, accepted that is responsibility,a:

representative of the people as a whole, is to care for the destitute, the

old and the infirm and to ensure that everyone is adequately fed, housed

and cared for when ill.”

Ho vms confident that Hong Kong would continue to provide medical

facilities which comare well with other countries and are the envy of many.

The Colonial Secretary noted, however, that without the devoted

efforts of charitable bodies, such as the Tung Wah Group, the medical

facilities available in Hong Kong would be completely inadequate.

/He praised