XN000022-1979-11-15 — Page 12

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1979

REGIONALISATION SCHEME RELIEVES OVERCROWDING IN HOSPITALS

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THE REGIONALISATION SCHEME FOR MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES IN HONG KONG HAS PROVED EFFECTIVE IN THE RELIEF OF OVERCROWDING AND THE BETTER USE OF HOSPITAL BEDS, THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR. THE HON. K.L. THONG SAID AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (THURSDAY).

IN HIS REPLY TO POINTS RAISED BY UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, DR. THONG SAID IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, A TWO-PRONG STRATEGY WAS ADOPTED BY REPROVISIONING AND IMPROVEMENT OF EXISTING SERVICES ON THE ONE HAND AND THE PROVISION OF NEW FACILITIES AND AREAS OF SERVICES ON THE OTHER.

CITING AN EXAMPLE, HE SAID THAT AT THE BEGINNING OF 1977, THERE WAS AN AVERAGE OF, 90 AND 120 CAMP BEDS IN USE DAILY IN QUEEN MAR AND QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITALS RESPECTIVELY. THESE HAVE BEEN REDUCED TO ONLY THREE AND 28 LAST MONTH.

+THIS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IS DUE MAINLY TO THE MORE EFFECTIVE USE OF BEDS IN THE SUBVENTED HOSPITALS AS A RESULT OF THE REGIONALISATION SCHEME,+ HE SAID, ADDING THAT ON THE AVERAGE, THE OCCUPANCY RATES FOR BEDS IMPROVED FROM 75 PER CENT TO 89 PER CENT IN THE MAJORITY OF SUBVENTED HOSPITALS.

DR. THONG SAID HE HOPED THAT WITH BETTER CO-ORDINATION AND CO-OPERATION AMONG THE MANAGEMENTS OF GOVERNMENT AND THE REST OF THE SUBSIDISED HOSPITALS, MORE BEDS IN THE SUBVENTED HOSPITALS WOULD BE OCCUPIED.

HE ALSO NOTED THAT THERE IS ALMOST 100 PER CENT INCREASE IN BEDS IN QUEEN MARY AND QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITALS DURING THE LAST DECADE, AND THIS HAS BEEN REASONABLY MATCHED BY CORRESPONDING

INCREASE IN STAFF AND FACILITIES.

+DURING THE PAST YEARS, VARIOUS MAJOR AND MINOR EXTENSIONS AND STRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT IN THESE TWO REGIONAL HOSPITALS. FURTHER, THE NUMBERS OF MEDICAL, NURSING AND PARAMEDICAL STAFF HAVE ALSO INCREASED BY FOURFOLD AND DOUBLED IN QUEEN MARY AND QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITALS RESPECTIVELY.+

IN THE SUBVENTED SECTORS, DR. THONG SAID THE SUBVENTED HOSPITALS HAVE BEEN GIVEN ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO OBTAIN EXTRA EQUIPMENT AND POSTS AND TO RECRUIT SUITABLE STAFF.

HE STRESSED THAT SUBSIDISED HOSPITALS WERE NOT INFERIOR TO GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS.

+BECAUSE OF ITS VERY NATURE, THE LEVEL OF SOPHISTICATION IN THE FIELDS OF SERVICES OFFERED AT THE REGIONAL HOSPITALS MUST PERFORCE BE OF A HIGHER ORDER AND THE RANGE OF SERVICES MORE COMPREHENSIVE,+ HE SAID.

/+IN FACT