XN000022-1977-12-02 — Page 8

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1977

BALANCED MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

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THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR. K.L. THONG, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY) HONG KONG'S MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME MUST BE GEARED TOWARDS A BALANCED PROVISION OF THE BASIC PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SOPHISTICATION IN SPECIAL AREAS.

+WE MUST AVOID SOME OF THE PITFALLS OF OVER-SOPHISTICATION AND UNBALANCED UTILISATION OF RESOURCES THAT ARE EVEN AT THIS MOMENT OCCURRING IN SOME OF THE MORE ADVANCED COUNTRIES,+ HE SAID.

DR. THONG WAS SPEAKING ON THE SUBJECT OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND PRIMARY HEALTH CARE DURING THE ANNUAL DINNER OF THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY THIS EVENING.

HE POINTED OUT THAT TREMENDOUS STRIDES HAVE BEEN MADE IN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY IN RECENT YEARS WITH NEWER AND MORE EFFICIENT MACHINES BEING INSTALLED IN GIGANTIC ESTABLISHMENT ESPECIALLY GEARED TO REFINED TREATMENT OF ILLNESSES.

+WHILE IN THEMSELVES SUCH ADVANCES ARE TO BE WELCOMED WE SHOULD ALSO BE CONCERNED AT THE GENERAL PICTURE WHICH PRESENTS AN INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE MEDICAL INDUSTRY WHICH MAY BE ENGAGED NOT SO MUCH IN THE PROMOTION OF HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE BUT IN THE UNLIMITED APPLICATION OF DISEASE TECHNOLOGY TO A COMPARATIVELY SMALL PROPORTION OF POTENTIAL BENEFICIARIES, HE SAID.

+

+THE DES IRE OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION TO GO DEEP INTO ACADEMIC THEORIES AND RESEARCH IS ENTIRELY UNDERSTANDABLE BUT UNFORTUNATELY THIS COULD MEAN THAT MANY A TIME THE CLINICIAN TENDS TO LOOK MORE FOR EXCEPTIONAL CLINICAL CONDITIONS WHERE THE MOST SOPHISTICATED TECHNOLOGY CAN BE APPLIED BUT WHICH MAY BE WHOLLY IRRELEVANT TO THE SPECIFIC COMMUNITY PROBLEMS,+ DR. THONG SAID.

IN THE MORE ADVANCED COUNTRIES, THIS TREND HAS MEANT AN INCREASING EXPENDITURE AND SPECIALISED RESOURCES ON THE COMPARATIVE FEW.

+ INSTEAD OF WIDENING THE EASE OF MEDICAL EXPENDITURE BY WIDER POPULATION COVERAGE THE SPECIALISED CLINICAL PEAK HAS KEPT OR RISING HIGHER AND HIGHER AND THE HEALTH SERVICES WOULD THEREFORE TEND TO BE DIRECTED MORE AND MORE TOWARDS THE FEW THAT MAY HAVE BEEN SELECTED NOT SO MUCH BY SOCIAL JUSTICE BUT BY THE MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY ITSELF.+

IN HIS

DR. THONG SAID THAT THE KEY TO THE WHOLE SITUATION, OPINION, WAS TO GEAR MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME IN SUCH A WAY THAT THERE IS A BALANCED PROVISION OF THE BASIC PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SOPHISTICATION IN SPECIAL AREAS.

+ON THE ONE HAND THERE IS A NEED TO MAINTAIN AND CONSOLIDATE THE GAINS WE HAVE SO FAR MADE BY FURTHER IMPROVING AND STRENGTHENING THE PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.

/ON THE OTHER