XN000022-1987-06-17 — Page 3

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1987

IMPORTANCE OF HIGH STANDARD AMBULANCE SERVICE STRESSED

THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON DAVID JEAFFRESON, STESSED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT IT WAS MOST IMPORTANT, IN THE INTEREST OF THE HONG KONG COMMUNITY THAT AN AMBULANCE SERVICE WITH A HIGH STANDARD BE MAINTAINED.

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WINDING UP THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON AMBULANCE SERVICE, MR JEAFFRESON THANKED MEMBERS FOR THEIR VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS CONTEXT.

MR JEAFFRESON SAID THAT, ON THE ADVICE OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE IMPLEMENTING ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COUSULTANTS, SUBJECT, IN SOME CASES, ΤΟ THE AUTHORITY BEING GIVEN THE NECESSARY RESOURCES.

ON THE TARGET TRAVEL TIME FOR RURAL AREAS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, HE SAID ANY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT BEYOND 30 MINUTES WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE AS THERE WERE REMOTE VILLAGES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND INACESSIBILITY OF DIFFICULT TERRAIN.

PER C'ENT OF

BUT HE SAID CONSULTANT FINDINGS REVEALED THAT 71 THE AMBULANCE SERVICES IN RURAL NEW TERRITORIES AREAS WERE ABLE TO REACH THE TARGET WITHIN 20 MINUTES AND MEASURES WERE BEING TAKEN TO INCREASE THIS PERCENTAGE BY POSTING AMBULANCES ΤΟ FAR STATIONS IN PLACES SUCH AS SHA TAU KOK.

TO ASSIST IN THE CASE OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION, SEVEN MOTOR CYCLES WERE BEING EMPLOYED) IN THE AMBULANCE SERVICE AND THEIR EFFECTIVENESS WOULD BE REVIEWED WITHIN A YEAR TO SEE IF THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES SHOULD BE INCREASED.

MR JEAFFRESON ALSO ASSURED THAT ALL AMBULANCES IN THE AMBULANCE SERVICE WILL BE AIR-CONDITIONED IN THREE YEARS' TIME.

HE SAID TWO AMBULANCE OFFICERS WOULD BE SENT ΤΟ THE UNITED KINGDOM TO HAVE A LOOK AT WHAT WAS BEING DONE THERE IN THE CONTEXT OF TRAINING AMBULANCEMEN IN PARAMEDIC SKILLS.

WHEN THEY RETURN, AN EXPERT GROUP WOULD BE SET UP TO LOOK ᎪᎢ WHAT THEY HAD FOUND THERE, HE SAID.

BETWEEN AMBULANCES AND

ΤΟ ENABLE DIRECT COMMUNICATION HOSPITALS, MR JEAFFRESON ASSURED THAT DIRECT COMMUNICATION FACILITIES WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE SECOND GENERATION SYSTEM WHICH WOULD BE OPERATING FOR THE AMBULANCE SERVICE BY 1991. HE ALSO GOVERNMENT WAS LOOKING AT A RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE IMPROVEMENT ENABLING DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITHOUT HAVING TO THE SECOND GENERATION SYSTEM.

SAID THE TECHNICAL WAIT FOR

TURNING TO THE ABUSE OF AMBULANCE SERVICES, MR JEAFFRESON AMBULANCEMEN WOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SUCH CASES.

SAID

THE

AT

MEANWHILE, HE SAID, THE GOVERNMENT WAS LOOKING AT POSSIBILITY OF MAKING THE ABUSE OF THE AMBULANCE SERVICE AN OFFENCE IN LAW, ALTHOUGH THE ACTUAL DRAFTING OF SUCH LEGISLATION WOULD NOT ALL BE EASY.

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