XN000022-1976-11-10 — Page 9

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1976

REGIONALISATION PLAN TO RELJEVE OVERCROWD ING IN HOSPITALS *****

THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR. THE HON. GERALD CHOA TODAY ANNOUNCED A REGIONALISATION PLAN TO RELIEVE OVERCROWD ING IN MAJOR HOSPITALS AND A PILOT SCHEME TO SUBVENT THE COMMUNITY NURSING SERVICE.

SPEAKING AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, DR. CHOA SAID THAT BOTH PROGRAMMES WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED FROM APRIL NEXT YEAR.

ELABORATING ON THE REGIONALISATION PLAN, DR. CHOA SAID THE BASIC IDEA WAS TO DIVIDE THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES INTO FOUR, LATER ON FIVE, REGIONS, EACH WITH A REGIONAL HOSPITAL SUPPORTED BY ONE OR MORE DISTRICT HOSPITALS, POLYCLINICS AND GENERAL OUTPATIENT CLINICS.

+WITHIN EACH REGION THERE WILL BE AN INTEGRATED STRUCTURE PROVIDING MEDICAL CARE AT ALL LEVELS, HE SAID.

DR. CHOA EXPLAINED THAT A REGIONAL HOSPITAL WILL BE A MAJOR ACUTE HOSPITAL EQUIPPED TO TREAT PATIENTS REQUIRING THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SPECIALIST CARE WHILE A DISTRICT HOSPITAL WILL RECEIVE PATIENTS WHOSE CONDITION IS NOT SUCH AS TO WARRENT REFERRAL DIRECTLY TO THE REGIONAL HOSPITAL.

A DISTRICT HOSPITAL WILL REFER PATIENTS TO THE REGIONAL HOSPITAL FOR THE MORE SPECIALISED LEVEL OF TREATMENT AND WILL RECEIVE PATIENTS BACK FROM THE REGIONAL HOSPITAL FOR THE LATER STAGES OF THEIR TREATMENT.

DR. CHOA SAID THE SYSTEM WILL HELP TO RELIEVE OVERCROWDING AT THE REGIONAL HOSPITALS AND WILL INCREASE THE UTILISATION OF SUBVENTED HOSPITALS WHICH WILL BE MAINLY USED AS DISTRICT HOSPITALS.

HE POINTED OUT, HOWEVER, THAT IF THE SYSTEM WAS TO WORK A UNIFORM SCALE OF FEES MUST BE CHARGED BY BOTH GOVERNMENT AND SUBVENTED HOSPITALS.

HE THEREFORE PROPOSED THAT THE HOSPITAL MAINTENANCE CHARGES IN GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS BE RAISED TO $5 PER DAY FOR GENERAL WARD PATIENTS AND THAT SIMILAR CHARGES BY SUBVENTED HOSPITALS BE ALSO LEVELLED AT $5.

ON COMMUNITY NURSING, THE DIRECTOR SAID THAT THE EXISTING SERVICE RENDERED BY SIX ORGANISATIONS WILL BE SUBVENTED FOR AN EVALUATION PERIOD OF THREE YEARS BEGINNING NEXT APRIL.

AT THE END OF THE PERIOD, HE SAID, THE MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE WOULD BE ASKED TO ADVISE WHETHER THE SERVICE SHOULD CONTINUE AS A SUBSIDISED PROGRAMME AND WHETHER ANY IMPROVEMENTS OR MODIFICATIONS SHOULD BE MADE.

THE COMMITTEE