XN000022-1981-10-28 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1981

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EXAMINATION OF MEDICAL POLICY URGED

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THE DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES IN HONG KONG HAS REACHED A CROSS-ROAD, DR THE HON HARRY FANG TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

AND THE TIME HAS COME FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO EXAMINE THE BROAD PRINCIPLES OF ITS MEDICAL AND HEALTH POLICY, HE ADDED.

HE QUOTED A SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT AS SAYING THAT +GOVERNMENT HAD BY IMPLICATIONS VEERED TOWARDS THE POLICY OF PROVIDING A MEDICAL SERVICE FOR ALL THAT NEEDED IT, BUT IN TRYING TO PROVIDE TOO MUCH FOR TOO MANY PEOPLE THE GOVERNMENT HAS ENDED UP BY NOT PROVIDING ENOUGH FOR ANYONE+.

+THERE IS A LOT OF TRUTH IN THIS STATEMENT, SAID DR FANG. WITHOUT A CLEAR DEFINITION OF WHO ARE THE ONES IN NEED, THE GOVERNMENT HAS IN FACT BEEN PROVIDING A MINI NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE.

+ IF A NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE FOR ALL IS OUR AIM, THEN FUNDS MUST BE MADE AVAILABLE TO RUN IT.+

STATISTICS SHOW THAT THE $1 884 MILLION MEDICAL AND HEALTH BILL FOR 1981/82 FORMS ROUGHLY EIGHT PER CENT OF THE TOTAL GOVERNMENT BUDGET BUT SLIGHTLY MORE THAN ONE PER CENT OF THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT. MOST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES ARE SPENDING BETWEEN FIVE AND EIGHT PER CENT OF THE IR GDP ON MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES.

+THIS SHARE - EIGHT PER CENT OF OUR BUDGET - CAN ONLY BE INCREASED AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER PROGRAMMES OR BY AN OVERALL INCREASE IN TAXATION OR THROUGH A SPECIAL TAX FOR MEDICAL AND HEALTH CARE.

+THE LAST TWO WOULD MEAN MAJOR CHANGES IN OUR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL POLICIES, HE ADDED.

HOWEVER, DR FANG NOTED THAT NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE SCHEMES ELSEWHERE HAVE NOT PROVED TO BE THE PANACEA THAT THEY PROMISED TO BE AND ALSO EXPRESSED DOUBT WHETHER HONG KONG CAN AFFORD IT.

BASED ON THE PER CAPITA COST (POUND STERLING 141) OF THE BRITISH NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE IN 1978, DR FANG SAID HONG KONG WOULD NEED TO SPEND OVER $7 600 MILLION IN 1981/82 WHICH IS FOUR TIMES THE PRESENT MEDICAL AND HEALTH BUDGET AND IS OVER 40 PER CENT OF LAST YEAR'S TOTAL EXPENDITURE ON THE PUBLIC SECTOR.

DR FANG AGREED WITH THE GOVERNOR THAT THE LIKELIHOOD OF ACHIEVING AN ADDITIONAL 15 000 HOSPITAL BEDS BY THE END OF THE DECADE IS +RATHER DOUBTFUL+.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS ALREADY DIRECTLY, OR INDIRECTLY THROUGH SUBVENTIONS, FUNDING 85 PER CENT OF THE HOSPITAL BEDS AND IF NO NEW BEDS ARE BUILT IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THE PROPORTION OF THE GOVERNMENT COMMITMENT WILL BE OVER 92 PER CENT BY THE END OF THE DECADE.

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