XN000022-1985-08-07 — Page 22

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1985

DR HO ALSO SAID HE WAS GRATEFUL THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD TAKEN THE INITIATIVE IN PLACING THE OPTOMETRY PROFESSION UNDER LEGISLATIVE CONTROL.

*WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NECESSARY REGULATIONS, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE STANDARD OF THE OPTICAL INDUSTRY WILL BE RAISED IN THE INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC.

→I AM AWARE, HOWEVER, THAT THE HONG KONG SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL OPTOMETRISTS HAS SOME QUERIES ABOUT THE DEFINITION AND FUNCTIONS OF OPTOMETRISTS, AS LAID DOWN IN CLAUSE 15 OF THE BILL, HE SAID.

HE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAD GIVEN MUCH THOUGHT TO THIS POINT AND INTENDED TO DEAL WITH THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF OPTOMETRISTS IN THE REGULATIONS, AND HE THEREFORE SOUGHT THE ADMINISTRATION'S COMMENT ON THIS POINT.

HE ALSO ASKED WHETHER GOVERNMENT HAD CONSIDERED THE RESERVATIONS EXPRESSED BY A NUMBER OF ORGANISATIONS REPRESENTING OPTOMETRISTS REGARDING THE CHINESE TRANSLATION OF +OPTOMETRIST+.

AS REGARDS THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS WHICH STIPULATED THAT AT LEAST ONE DIRECTOR OF A COMPANY CARRYING ON THE BUSINESS OF A PARA-MEDICAL PROFESSION SHOULD BE PROFESSIONALLY QUALIFIED, DR HO CONSIDERED THIS A POSITIVE STEP TO RAISE THE STANDARD OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE WHICH SHOULD NOT BE GUIDED SOLELY BY COMMERCIAL CONSIDERATIONS.

+I AGREE THAT WITH THE SHORTAGE OF QUALIFIED PERSONNEL AT PRESENT IT IS UNREALISTIC TO REQUIRE ALL DIRECTORS OF A COMPANY CARRYING ON THE BUSINESS OF A PROFESSION TO BE PROFESSIONALLY QUALIFIED.

+HOWEVER, I SINCERELY HOPE THAT THERE SHOULD BE MORE QUALIFIED DIRECTORS WITH THE INCREASED SUPPLY OF COMPETENT PERSONNEL IN THE FUTURE, HE SAID.

THANKING DR HO AND DR HENRIETTA IP FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THE BILL, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON CHAU TAK-HAY SAID THE PURPOSE OF THE DEFINITION WAS TO DESCRIBE THE WORK OF THE OPTOMETRY PROFESSION IN SUFFICIENTLY BROAD TERMS TO ENSURE THAT IT EMBRACED ALL THOSE ENGAGED IN OPTICAL WORK WHO OUGHT TO BE REGISTERED.

+THIS DEFINITION DOES NOT PURPORT TO DESCRIBE ALL THE WORK AN OPTOMETRIST MAY DO, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT DOES NOT PREVENT HIM FROM PERFORMING ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS, SUCH AS THE DETECTION OF OCULAR DISEASES.

+BY THE SAME TOKEN, RESTRICTIONS MAY BE IMPOSED, THROUGH REGULATIONS, ON THE TYPE OF WORK WHICH CAN BE UNDERTAKEN BY DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF OPTOMETRISTS.

/+THRED ASSOCIATIONS