XN000022-1983-01-12 — Page 9

8

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1983

+THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE REASONABLY WELL OFF TO BE CLASSIFIED AS COMFORTABLE AND WHO ARE PREPARED TO PAY, WITHIN LIMITS, WANT SOME OF THE FRILLS THAT GO TOWARDS ADDING COMFORT TO THE IR HOSPITAL STAY, HE ADDED.

DR LAM SAID THAT GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS IN THE FUTURE WILL HAVE MORE FIRST AND SECOND CLASS BEDS ON A LIMITED BASIS FOR THE SANDWICH CLASS.

BUT THE PROVISION OF MEDICAL FACILITIES FOR THE POOR AND UNDER- IVILEGED WOULD REMAIN THE GOVERNMENT'S FIRST PRIORITY, HE STRESSED.

THERE WAS, HE SAID, A LACK OF HOSPITAL BEDS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR THOUGH THERE WAS NO NEED FOR THIS RESTRAINT. POINTING OUT THAT NO NEW PRIVATE HOSPITAL HAD BEEN BUILT IN THE PAST 15 YEARS, HE SAID ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THIS WAS THE FEAR THAT THE PRIVATE HOSPITAL BUSINESS WAS NOT PROFIT-GENERATING.

HOWEVER, DR LAM SAID, THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THERE WAS MONEY TO BE MADE IN SUCH ENTERPRISES IN THE UNITED STATES, BRITAIN, JAPAN, THE PHILIPPINES, MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE.

HE CITED THE COMMON AILMENT OF APPENDICITIS AS AN EXAMPLE TO ILLUSTRATE WHY THERE IS A NEED FOR MORE PRIVATE HOSPITALS.

OF HONG KONG'S POPULATION OF OVER 5.1 MILLION, EVERY MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD HAS AN APPENDIX, HE SAID,

+LET'S ASSUME THAT HALF A MILLION ARE SO RICH AND WELL OFF THAT THEY CAN FLY OFF TO THE UNITED STATES OR THE U.K. FOR TREATMENT, AND THAT ANOTHER ONE-AND-A-HALF MILLION ARE SO POOR THAT THEY HAVE TO MAKE USE OF PUBLIC HOSPITAL FACILITIES THIS LEAVES OVER THREE MILLION TO, SAID DR LAM.

THE SANDWICH CLASS UNATTENDED

HE SAID IF ONLY ONE PER CENT OF THE POPULATION HAD AN INFLAMED APPENDIX, THIS WOULD MEAN 35 000 INFLAMED APPENDIXES NEEDING SURGICAL REMOVAL.

+ASSUMING THE VERY CONSERVATIVE CHARGE OF $1 000 SURGEON'S FEE WITHOUT EVEN TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE COST OF HOSPITALISATION, NURSING, DRUGS AND OTHER EXPENSES YOU ALREADY HAVE A $35-MILLION INDUSTRY, HE SAID.

+ALL THIS FROM ONE SMALL APPENDIX, WHAT OF THE OTHER LARGER ORGANS?+ SAID DR LAM.

+THE SOLUTION FOR SOME OF THE ILLS OF THE MIDDLE INCOME GROUP IS MORE PRIVATE FACILITIES BUT AT A COST WHICH THEY CAN AFFORD, + HE ADDED.

19