XN000022-1983-11-09 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1983

5

DR THONG WAS SPEAKING AT THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE MOTION OF THANKS FOR THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

REFERRING TO UNOFFICIAL MEMBER, DR HENRIETTA IP'S COMMENTS ABOUT HIS DEPARTMENT'S SERVICES, DR THONG SAID WHILE HE SHARED DR IP'S CONCERN FOR THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES IN HONG KONG, HE HAD +TO CLARIFY AND PUT MATTERS IN THE IR TRUE PERSPECTIVE SO AS TO DISPEL ANY MISCONCEPTIONS WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN CREATED BY SOME OF HER REMARKS+.

IN REPLY TO DR IP'S CHARGE THAT THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAD FAILED TO IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM GOVERNMENT REVIEWS AND SURVEYS, DR THONG SAID THE SURVEY THAT DR IP REFERRED TO WAS MADE AT HIS PERSONAL REQUEST, AND WAS INTENDED PRIMARILY TO ADVISE ON THE NEXT PHASE OF THE REGIONALISATION OF HIS DEPARTMENT.

+THUS, THIS IS BUT A NORMAL EXERCISE CARRIED OUT IN A NORMAL WAY AND WHOSE RESULTS WERE REPORTED NORMALLY TO US.

+THERE IS CERTAINLY NOTHING SINISTER OR SECRETIVE ABOUT THE

WHOLE EXERCISE AND ITS RECOMMENDATIONS, DR THONG SAID.

HE SAID HE AND HIS SENIOR STAFF HAD FIRST TO SEE WHETHER THE PROPOSALS WERE FEASIBLE AND PRACTICABLE BEFORE IMPLEMENTING THEM.

ABOVE ALL, IT WAS NECESSARY TO DETERMINE WHETHER THEY CONTRIBUTED TO THE SMOOTH OPERATION AND EFFICIENCY OF THE DEPARTMENT, HE ADDED.

IN THE EVENT, IT WAS FOUND THAT WHILE MOST OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE CONSIDERED WORKABLE AND WERE IMPLEMENTED, SOME COULD NOT, BECAUSE OF COGENT AND PRACTICAL REASONS, HE SAID.

+CLEARLY THERE IS NO SUBSTANCE IN MY FRIEND'S SUGGESTION THAT IT IS THE HABIT OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO HAVE SURVEYS AND REVIEWS BUT NEVER TO IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THEM', HE ADDED.

REFERRING TO DR IP'S SUGGESTION OF A SINGLE DEPUTY DIRECTOR STRUCTURE, DR THONG SAID THAT AFTER DETAILED STUDY, IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS NEITHER FEASIBLE NOR PRACTICAL TO HAVE ONE SINGLE DEPUTY DIRECTOR TO REPLACE THE EXISTING MULTIPLE DEPUTY DIRECTORS STRUCTURE NO MATTER HOW ATTRACTIVE THE THEORETICAL POSSIBILITIES WERE FOR THE FORMER+.

+FIRSTLY, TO CONCENTRATE THE FUNCTIONS OF THREE DEPUTY DIRECTORS INTO ONE WOULD SO OVERWHELMINGLY INCREASE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF A SINGLE DEPUTY DIRECTOR THAT THERE COULD ONLY BE UNFORTUNATE AND DETRIMENTAL CONSEQUENCES, NOT ONLY TO THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR HIMSELF, BUT ALSO TO THE SERVICE AS A WHOLE,+ HE SAID.

/+SECONDLY, IT