XN000022-1974-08-14 — Page 14

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1974.

COMMUNITY NURSING SERVICE PROPOSED

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A COMMUNITY NURSING SERVICE WHICH, IN EFFECT, WOULD EXTEND HOSPITAL SERVICE TO THE HOME AND FREE MORE HOSPITAL BEDS FOR URGENT CASES, WAS PROPOSED TODAY BY THE HON. MISS KO SIU-WAH.

EXPERIENCE FROM SOME SMALL EXPERIMENTS CONDUCTED IN HONG KONG, SHE TOLD COUNCIL, SHOVED THAT SUCH A SERVICE WAS NOT ONLY FEASIBLE BUT WAS WELCOMED BY CUSTOMERS, ESPECIALLY IN CARING FOR BABIES AND THE AGED.

NOTING THAT THERE MIGHT BE PROBLEMS IN EXPANDING THE PROGRAMME ON A COLONY-WIDE BASIS DUE TO LACK OF FUNDS AND QUALIFIED NURSES, MISS KO SUGGESTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONSIDER +SUBSTANTIAL SUBSIDY+ TO PRIVATE HOSPITALS OR VOLUNTARY AGENCIES CAPABLE OF STARTING PILOT SCHEMES IN THEIR DISTRICTS. BUT THE ULTIMATE AIM SHOULD BE TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMME.

+THROUGH COMMUNITY NURSING SERVICE,+ MISS KO SAID, +PATIENTS COULD BE ENCOURAGED, WITH THE HELP OF THE IR FAMILIES, TO CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR OWN REHABILITATION. RELAPSE OF ILLNESS COULD BE PREVENTED BY PROVIDING NURSING CARE AND HEALTH EDUCATION TO PATIENTS WITH IN THEIR OWN HOMES.

+AT THE SAME TIME THE FAMILY COULD BE EDUCATED IN PREVENTIVE SELF-CARE, THUS POSSIBLY AVOIDING THE NECESSITY OF HOSPITALISATION.+

THROUGH SUCH A SERVICE, MISS KO WENT ON, PATIENTS WOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO RETURN HOME SOON AFTER INTENSIVE MEDICAL TREATMENT, AND THIS WOULD LEAD TO AN ECONOHY IN THE USE OF HOSPITAL BEDS.

+HOME NURSING CARE COULD ALSO BE PROVIDED FOR PATIENTS WHOSE GENERAL CONDITION IS UNSUITABLE FOR OUT-PATIENT ATTENDANCE, THUS RELJEVING. OVERCROWDED OUT-PATIENT DEPARTMENTS AS VELL,+ SHE SAID.

MISS KO NOTED THAT DUE TO THE INCREASE OF HEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICE AND HOSPITAL BEDS, THERE WOULD BE A CREAT DEMAND FOR HORE MEDICAL SOCIAL WORKERS, AND SHE HOPED THAT IN-SERVICE TRAINING FOR MEDICAL SOCIAL WORKERS WOULD DE PROVIDED FOR ALL THOSE SERVING IN PRIVATE KOSPITALS IN THE FUTURE.

THE TIME HAD ALSO COME, SHE ADDED, FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF A POPULATION POLICY FOR HONG KONG SINCE POPULATION CROUTH WAS CONSIDERED THE GREATEST DANGER TO SUCIAL PROQRESS AND DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES.

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