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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1986
HE POINTED OUT THAT THIS WAS ONE OF TWO +STRIKING DEFICIENCIES+ IN THE CONSULTANTS REPORT. PROF POON SAID IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE HOSPITAL SERVICES TO BE ACHIEVED WITHOUT PROPER ADJUSTMENTS TO THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES OUTSIDE HOSPITALS WHICH INCLUDED PRIMARY CARE, CONTINUING AMBULATORY CARE, AND CONVALESCENT AND REHABILITATIVE CARE.
HE SAID HE DID NOT BELIEVE IT POSSIBLE TO SUCCESSFULLY INTRODUCE MEASURES TO REDUCE OVERCROWDING IN HOSPITALS IF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES OUTSIDE HOSPITALS WERE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED AT THE SAME TIME.
PROF POON SAID MANY DISEASES NORMALLY TREATED IN HOSPITALS COULD IN FACT BE TREATED ENTIRELY OUTSIDE OF HOSPITALS IF WE HAD PROPER AND ADEQUATE PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SERVICES.
ANOTHER DEFICIENCY IN THE REPORT IDENTIFIED BY PROF POON AND HIS COLLEAGUES IN THE FACULTY OF MEDICINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG RELATED TO THE SUBJECT OF TEACHING HOSPITALS.
THE REPORT LACKED ANY CLEAR DEFINITION OF A TEACHING HOSPITAL, NOR DID IT RECOGNISE THE SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF STAFFING, RESOURCES AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF A UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL, HE SAID.
+WE SHOULD ALL RECOGNISE THAT A UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL IS NOT SIMPLY A REGIONAL SERVICE HOSPITAL WITH AN ADDITIONAL ELEMENT IN TEACHING, AS THE AUSTRALIAN CONSULTANTS APPEAR TO BELIEVE, HE SAID.
THE ROLE OF A UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL WAS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF GENERAL HOSPITALS AND THEREFORE HAD DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS.
HE SAID A UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL MUST BE ALLOWED ACCESS TO THOSE CLINICAL FACILITIES IN OTHER HOSPITALS OR CENTRES, WHICH IT DID NOT HAVE, FOR TEACHING PURPOSES.
HE SAID HE BELIEVED THAT TEACHING COULD BE CARRIED OUT IN MOST, IF NOT ALL, REGIONAL HOSPITALS PROVIDED THAT THESE HOSPITALS WERE PROPERLY UPGRADED.
HOWEVER, HE SAID HE STRONGLY FELT THAT THERE MUST BE A MAIN TEACHING HOSPITAL FOR EACH MEDICAL SCHOOL WHERE THE MAJOR PART OF TEACHING OF UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS AND THE ORGANISATION OF SUCH TEACHING CAN TAKE PLACE.
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