XN000022-1987-06-17 — Page 23

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1987

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EMERGENCY WARDS ADEQUATELY COVERED

ALL ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS OF HOSPITALS AND CLINICS HAVE ALREADY BEEN UNDER THE CONSTANT SUPERVISION OF A SENIOR DOCTOR OF AT LEAST FIVE YEARS' EXPERIENCE IN HOSPITAL PRACTICE, PREFERABLY IN AN ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, IN THE DAY SHIFTS, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON JOHN CHAMBERS, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON HENRIETTA IP, MR CHAMBERS SAID THIS FOLLOWED A RECOMMENDATION MADE BY THE MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND OMELCO STANDING PANEL ON HEALTH SERVICES IN JANUARY THIS YEAR.

FULL COVERAGE IN THE NIGHT SHIFTS WAS NOT YET POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF MANPOWER SHORTAGES, HE SAID.

"HOWEVER, THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON THE STANDARD OF EMERGENCY CARE AS SENIOR STAFF ARE READILY AVAILABLE CONSULTATION WHEN REQUIRED.

FOR

THE AVAILABLE, THE

**WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATION AND AS SOON AS MORE SENIOR DOCTORS ARE NIGHT SHIFTS WILL ALSO BE COVERED, MR CHAMBERS ADDED.

ACCIDENTS ON PRIVATE ROADS NOT WIDESPREAD

THERE IS AT PRESENT NO INDICATION THAT TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS INVOLVING PERSONAL INJURY ON PRIVATE ROADS AND CAR PARKS ARE OCCURRING ON A LARGE SCALE, THIE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON MICHAEL LEUNG, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON CHEUNG YAN-LUNG, MR LEUNG SAID THE GOVERNMENT ONLY MAINTAINED COMPLETE AND SEPARATE TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS WHICH OCCURRED ON PUBLIC ROADS,

RECORDS ON

"IT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME AND WILL INVOLVE CONSIDERABLE ACCIDENTS WHICH MANPOWER TO IDENTIFY FROM THE POLICE RECORDS TRAFFIC OCCURRED ON PRIVATE ROADS AND CAR PARKS DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS.

HE SAID.

"IT IS PROBABLY NOT COST-EFFECTIVE TO CONDUCT SUCH A RESEARCH,

MR LEUNG ALSO POINTED OUT THAT IF A PERSON WAS INJURED AS A RESULT OF A DRIVER'S NEGLIGENCE HE MIGHT SUE THAT DRIVER FOR DAMAGES. "THIS RIGHT EXISTS REGARDLESS OF WHERE THE ACCIDENT OCCURS, HE SAID.

...

"IF HOWEVER, THE ACCIDENT OCCURS ON A PRIVATE ROAD OR IN A PRIVATE CAR PARK AND THE DRIVER'S POLICY OF INSURANCE DOES NOT COVER

FOR HIM, HIS ONLY AVENUE

COMPENSATION IS TO RECOVER THE DAMAGES

HE ADDED. AWARDED BY THE COURT FROM THE DRIVER,

..

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