XN000022-1989-03-08 — Page 9

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 1989

7

WITH

IN ALL PUBLIC ATTACK THE ROOT

THE DECISION TO ESTABLISH A STATUTORY HOSPITAL AUTHORITY, OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROVISION OF SERVICES

ΤΟ INITIATIVE HOSPITALS, MR CHAU SAID, WAS A BOLD CAUSES OF THESE PROBLEMS.

IT WAS NOT AN OPPORTUNITY

FOR

THE

GOVERNMENT TO "PASS

THE

BUCK".

NOR WOULD IT PROVIDE THE PANACEA TO ALL ILLS, HE SAID.

"BUT IT

JS A

CRUCIAL

FIRST

PROBLEMS WHICH WE HAVE NOT MANAGED FRAMEWORK FOR PROVIDING SERVICES.

MEMBERS OF THE PROVISIONAL

14

THOSE

TACKLING STEP TOWARDS то OVERCOME WITHIN THE PRESENT

HOSPITAL AUTHORITY, WERE WORKING

THE ACHIEVE

TARGET OF

ΤΟ COMMITMENT

ENERGETICALLY AND WITH GREAT SETTING UP THE 110SPITAL AUTHORITY IN APRIL 1990, MR CHAU SAID.

THE

EXPERTISE

TASK

AND

OF BREADTH

VISION HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT

WOULD ENSURE

A THAT

FIRM WHICH MEMBERS WERE BRINGING TO THE

OF A PUBLIC HOSPITAL FRAMEWORK WAS ESTABLISHED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM OF WHICH HONG KONG COULD BE TRULY PROUD IN THE YEARS TO COME.

NOT BLIND US TO THE

OF THE PROVISION

MEDICAL AND

"THE PROBLEMS WHICH CONFRONT US SHOULD ACHIEVEMENTS WHICH HAVE BEEN MADE IN HEALTH SERVICES TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG," HE SAID.

MR CHAU POINTED

OUT THAT

WHICH

WAS

HONG IMPRESSIVE

PEOPLE KONG

BY

COMPARISON

NOW ENJOYED

WITH

A MANY

STANDARD OF HEALTH DEVELOPED COUNTRIES.

THE OVERALL DEATH RATE AND THE RATE OF MATERNAL. FALLEN STEADILY OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS.

MORTALITY HAD

ONE OF THE RATE

MOST SENSITIVE THE INFANT MORTALITY

FROM 17.4 INDICATORS OF GENERAL HEALTH IN THE COMMUNITY, HAD DROPPED PER THOUSAND LIVE BIRTHS IN 1974 TO 7.6 IN 1988.

LIFE

OVER THE LAST DECADE, THERE HAD BEEN A STEADY INCREASE IN

ΤΟ 80 YEARS FOR EXPECTANCY FROM 70 TO 74 YEARS FOR MEN AND FROM 76 WOMEN.

RAPID THE "THOSE ACHIEVEMENTS OWE MUCH TO

WHICH HAS ENSURED THAT MEDICAL AND HEALTH SYSTEM RANGE OF SERVICES ARE WITHIN EASY REACH OF THE VAST POPULATION, MR CHAU SAID.

EXPANSION OF THE

A COMPREHENSIVE MAJORITY OF THE

'THE "SINCE THE PUBLICATION OF THE 1974 GOVERNMENT WHITE PAPER

KONG' WE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES IN HONG

BUILDING OF NEW

AND THE HAVE INVESTED HUGE SUMS IN THE EXTENSION OF EXISTING ONES.

་་

HOSPITALS

POPULATION THE SAME

SUBVENTED HOSPITALS HAD THE NUMBER OF REDS IN GOVERNMENT AND INCREASED FROM 14,900 TO THE PRESENT 22,170 AND THE BED TO RATIO IMPROVED FROM 3.9 TO 1.5 PER THOUSAND POPULATION OVER PERIOD, HE SAID.

/" THE EXPANSION