WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 1976
+
22
$891% EARMARKED FOR MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
****
THE GOVERNMENT ILL SPEND 391 MILLION, OR 8.7 PER CENT THE TOTAL BUDGETTED EXPENDITURE, ON MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES IN THE COMING FINANCIAL YEAR, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON. PHILIP HADDON-CAVE SAID TODAY.
IN HIS BUDGET SPEECH. MR. HADDON-CAVE SAID CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS HAD EEEN MADE IN IMPLEMENTING THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES' REGIONALISATION SCHEME WHICH WILL IMPROVE THE UTILISATION OF LEDS AND OTHER FACILITIES BY ENABLING THE TRANSFER OF PATIENTS BETWEEN HOSPITALS.
MR. HADDON-CAVE SAID THE SCHEME MUST INVOLVE SUBVENTED HOSPITALS, AS HAD BEEN DONE WITH THE BUDDHIST AND POK OF HOSPITALS DURING 1977-78, AND WOULD CONTINUE WITH THE YAN CHAI HOSPITAL AND THE CARITAS MEDICAL CENTRE IN 1978-79.
+THIS IS NOT ONLY A COSTLY TREND, BUT ALSO INVOLVES THE GOVERNMENT HAVING A MUCH CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITIES CONCERNED, THE IMPLICATIONS OF WHICH ARE NOT YET, PERHAPS, FULLY REALISED, HE SAID.
HE SAID THAT THE NET INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF BEDS IN GOVERN- ENT AND SUBVENTED HOSPITALS IN 1972, WOULD BE 823, AND THERE WERE SEVERAL MAJOR PROJECTS IN THE PLANNING PIPELINE, CONSTRUCTION WORK ON THESE PROJECTS WOULD BEGIN DURING THE NEXT YEAR OR SO.
+PERHAPS THE MOST SPECTACULAR WILL BE THE NEW 1,400-BED TEACHING HOSPITAL AT SHA TIN- I AM CURRENTLY DISCUSSING WITH THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK THE POSSIBILITY OF A LOAN TO HELP FINANCE THIS INTERESTING PROJECT,+ HE SAID.
+CONSTRUCTION OF A FLOOD TRANSFUSION CENTRE WILL BEGIN FOR THE HONG KONG RED CROSS TO ENABLE IT TO PROVIDE A CENTRAL ISED ELOCD TRANSFUSION SERVICE, AND PLANNING HAS STARTED ON THE DEVELOP- ENT OF A 300-PED CARDIO-THORACIC CENTRE AT THE GRANTHAM HOSPITAL, + HE SAID.
THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY ALSO PAID TRIBUTE TO THE CONTRIBUTION WHICH THE TUE AH GROUP OF HOSPITALS HAD MADE OVER THE YEARS, AND WILL BE MADE IN THE FUTURE, TOWARDS THE PROVISION OF MEDICAL SERVICES.
BUT HE PORTED OUT THAT SOME RECTGANISATION OF ITS MEDICAL DIVISION REED TO BE CONSIDERED AND THIS WAS TO BE TACKLED
DE JOINTLY WITH THE YEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT AS THIS DIVISION WAS FINANCED ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY FROM PUBLIC FUNDS.
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