XN000022-1981-07-08 — Page 24

WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 1981

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HEAVIER PENALTIES PROPOSED TO STAMP OUT ILLEGAL CLINICS

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THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSES TO IMPOSE HEAVIER PENALTIES ON PERSONS OPERATING UNREGISTERED CLINICS AS A MEASURE TO STAMP OUT SUCH ILLEGAL PRACTICE.

MOVING THE SECOND READING OF THE MEDICAL CLINIC (AMENDMENT) BILL 1981 THIS AFTERNOON, THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR THE HON K.L. THONG, POINTED OUT THAT THE LEVEL OF PENALTY HAS REMAINED UNCHANGED SINCE THE LEGISLATION WAS ENACTED IN 1963.

+THESE PENALTIES ARE UNREALISTICALLY LOW AND HAVE DECLINED TO THE POINT WHERE THEY ARE NO LONGER A DETERRENT, HE TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

DR THONG SAID HE ENDORSED THE VIEW EXPRESSED BY A MAGISTRATE IN 1979 THAT +PATIENTS' LIVES WERE BEING PUT AT RISK AND THE PENALTY FOR PRACTISING AS A DOCTOR WITHOUT BEING REGISTERED WAS INADEQUATE.+

THE PROPOSED PENALTIES, INCLUDING BOTH FINE AND IMPRISONMENT, REPRESENT CONSIDERABLE INCREASES OVER THE EXISTING PENALTIES.

FOR THE MOST SERIOUS OFFENCE, THE BILL PROPOSES THAT THE MAXIMUM PENALTY TO BE INCREASED FROM A FINE OF $1 000 AND THREE MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT TO $50 000 AND FIVE YEARS.

THIS OFFENCE RELATES TO THE CARRYING OUT OR TAKING PART IN THE MANAGEMENT OF AN UNREGISTERED CLINIC OR DIAGNOSING, PRESCRIBING OR ADMINISTERING ANY TREATMENT IN AN UNREGISTERED CLINIC.

DR THONG SAID THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF OFFENCE THE POLICE HAS BEEN CALLED UPON TO DEAL WITH IN RECENT YEARS, INVOLVED UNREGISTERED CLINICS RUN BY UNREGISTRABLE PERSONS. THEY ARE OFTEN PEOPLE WHO ARE UNABLE TO PASS THE LICENTIATE EXAMINATION WHICH WOULD ENABLE THEM TO BE REGISTERED TO PRACTISE IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.

THE DIRECTOR POINTED OUT THAT THE LICENTIATE EXAMINATION HAS BEEN HELD EACH YEAR SINCE THE FIRST EXAMINATION IN 1977 AND THERE HAS BEEN AMPLE OPPORTUNITY FOR COMPETENT PRACTITIONERS TO QUALIFY IN ORDER TO PRACTISE LEGALLY.

/LAST YEAR,................