XN000022-1974-08-14 — Page 16

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1974.

HONG KONG MUST AIM TO BECOME A LEADER

IN MEDICAL SERVICES

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AS A PROGRESSIVE INDUSTRIAL CITY, HONG KONG SHOULD AIM TO HAVE HOSPITAL FACILITIES AND SERVICES THAT ARE SECOND TO NONE IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD, THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, SAID TODAY.

SPEAKING DURING THE DEBATE ON THE MEDICAL WHITE PAPER, HE SAID THE OBJECTIVE TO BUILD NEW HOSPITALS AND CLINICS TO MEET EXPECTED POPULATION GROWTH WAS A LAUDABLE ONE, BUT HE COULD NOT HELP FEELING THAT THE ASSUMED 1982 POPULATION OF 4.96 MILLION, ON WHICH PLANNING IS BASED, WAS ON THE LOW SIDE. THE WHITE PAPER HAS PROJECTED AN INCREASE IN THE RATIO OF BEDS FROM 4.25 BEDS PER 1,000 POPULATION IN 1972 TO 5.5 BEDS WHEN THE EAST KOWLOON HOSPITAL IS BUILT.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN ALSO FELT THAT THE PROPOSALS FOR SIX NEW POLYCLINICS, SIX ADDITIONAL GENERAL CLINICS AND THE REPROVISIONING OF FOUR EXISTING CLINICS, WOULD PROBABLY ALSO 'FALL SHORT OF THE MARK IN PROVIDING REASONABLY ADEQUATE CLINIC FACILITIES, ESPECIALLY IF THE REGIONAL APPROACH WAS TO BE ADOPTED AND A STANDARD URBAN CLINIC WAS TO BE ESTABLISHED FOR EVERY 100,000 OF URBAN POPULATION.

+ THE BUILDING OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF CLINICS MUST PROCEED WITH UTMOST SPEED,+ HE STRESSED, AND EXISTING CLINIC FACILITIES BE IMPROVED CONTINUOUSLY SO THAT THEY ARE PUT TO MAXIMUM USE TO REDUCE QUEUING CONGESTION AND LONG WAITING HOURS.+

HE WELCOMED THE GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO ESTABLISH A SECOND MEDICAL SCHOOL AT THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY AND A DENTAL SCHOOL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, BUT REGRETTED THAT THE SERVICES OF SEVERAL HUNDRED NON-COMMONWEALTH MEDICAL GRADUATES WERE NOT PUT TO GOOD USE IN HONG KONG.

CALLING FOR A LONG HARD LOOK AT THE PROBLEM, MR. CHEONG-LEEN SAID: IT DOES SEEM TO BE AN ANOMALY THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD ALLOW CHINESE HERBAL ISTS AND ACUPUNCTURISTS TO PRACTIE THEIR HEALING ART WITHOUT ANY RESTRICTION WHATSOEVER, WHILE NON- COMMONWEATH MEDICAL CRADUATES WITH FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS' TRAINING OR MORE ARE NOT PERMITTED TO PRACTISE IN HONG KONG.+

MR. CHEONG-LEEN ALSO URGED NON-COMMONUEALTH DOCTORS TO EXERCISE DIGNITY AND RESTRAINT WHILE SEEKING A SOLUTION TO THEIR PROBLEM.

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