XN000022-1977-03-30 — Page 19

WEDNESDAY, MARCE 30, 1977

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ON GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION TO PROVIDE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES ON A REGIONAL BASIS, DR. FANG SAID HE WAS SURE THE PUBLIC WOULD APPRECIATE A FURTHER STATEMENT ON THE POLICY, IMPLICATIONS AND HOW IT WAS TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN STAGES.

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HE EMPHASISED THAT REGIONAL ISATION PROPOSALS MUST BE A PLAN OF ACTION RATHER THAN A PAPER EXERCISE AND THAT EACH REGIONAL HOSPITAL MUST HAVE A FULL COMPLEMENT OF STAFF AND FACILITIES TO DISCHARGE ITS ROLE AS A MAJOR HOSPITAL.

HE ASKED IF THE GOVERNMENT WOULD SAY WHETHER IT WOULD IMPLEMENT ANY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS ON ACCIDENT SERVICE BY AN EXPERT CALLED IN BY THE GOVERNMENT IN 1971/72.

REFERRING TO THE AMBULANCE SERVICE, DR. FANG POINTED OUT THAT ALTHOUGH IT WAS VERY ABLY OPERATED, IT WAS STILL BY AND LARGE ESSENTIALLY A TRANSPORT SERVICE.

HE SAID THAT DURING THE PAST YEAR, 2,811 CASES WERE CERTIFIED DEAD ON ARRIVAL AT THE HOSPITALS.

+EVEN ASSUMING THAT 50 PER CENT OF THESE CASES WERE ALREADY DEAD WHEN THE AMBULANCE ARRIVED, THIS STILL LEAVES SOME 1,400 CASES OR ABOUT FOUR A DAY WHOSE LIVES MIGHT HAVE BEEN SAVED IF EMERGENCY TREATMENT COULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN AT THE SCENE AND EN ROUTE TO THE HOSPITAL BY MORE ADEQUATELY TRAINED AMBULANCE STAFF, HE SAID.

+SUCH STAFF SHOULD BE ABLE TO CONTACT REGIONAL HOSPITALS DIRECT BY RADIO SO THAT THEY CAN SEEK A DOCTOR'S ADVICE AS NECESSARY ON HOW TO DEAL WITH THE PATIENT ON THE SPOT. THE COST INVOLVED IN PROVIDING THE NECESSARY TELE-COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT AND CLINICAL DIAGNOSTIC TRAINING SHOULD NOT BE TOO GREAT AND SHOULD BE WELL WORTHWHILE IN TERMS OF LIVES SAVED, HE ADDED.

ON COMMUNITY NURSING, DR. FANG SAID HE HAD NO DOUBT THAT THE SERVICE WAS ESSENTIAL, PARTICULARLY WHEN HOSPITAL BEDS WERE STILL IN SHORT SUPPLY.

HE URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO CONSIDER PLANS NOW FOR TAKING ON THIS SERVICE ITSELF, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR, SO THAT ACTION COULD BE TAKEN AS SOON AS A DECISION WAS MADE TO CONTINUE WITH THE SERVICE.

ON GOVERNMENT SUBVENTIONS FOR VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, DR. FANG SAID IT WOULD SEEM SENSIBLE TO ALLOW SOME FLEXIBILITY IN THE APPLICATION OF THE RULE THAT SALARIES FOR THEIR STAFF SHOULD NOT BE MORE FAVOURABLE THAN GOVERNMENT SALARIES FOR COMPARABLE WORK.

HE EXPLAINED THAT THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR IN GENERAL COULD NOT COMPETE WITH GOVERNMENT IN TERMS OF FRINGE BENEFITS AND CAREER PROSPECTS SO THAT THEY HAD REAL DIFFICULTY IN RECRUITING HIGH CALIBRE STAFF,

+PERHAPS THE HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED COULD BE GIVEN SOME DISCRETION IN THIS AREA,+ HE SAID.

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