XN000022-1989-05-10 — Page 21

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 1989

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RESPONDING ΤΟ CONCERNS ABOUT THE DELAYS IN IMPLEMENTING THE STAFF-TO-PATIENT RATIOS RECOMMENDED BY THE MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (MDAC), MR CHAU POINTED OUT THAT MDAC RATIOS REPRESENTED THE STANDARDS OF PATIENT CARE THAT ONE WOULD LIKE TO ACHIEVE.

"IN SOME GRADES IT HAS BEEN POSSIBLE TO APPLY THESE STANDARDS IN FULL, BUT IN OTHERS THERE ARE LIMITATIONS OF FINANCIAL AND MANPOWER RESOURCES WHICH MEAN THAT ACHIEVEMENT OF THESE TARGETS WOULD NOT REALISTIC EXCEPT IN THE LONGER TERM," HE EXPLAINED.

BE

REGARDING MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, MR CHAU SAID THAT EACH APPLICATION FOR EQUIPMENT, WHETHER FROM GOVERNMENT OR SUBVENTED HOSPITALS, HAD BE VETTED AGAINST OPERATIONAL NEEDS, OTHER COMPETING APPLICATIONS THE AVAILABILITY OF FINANCING RESOURCES.

AND

"AS FINANCIAL RESOURCES ARE NOT UNLIMITED, INEVITABLY NOT ALL SUCH APPLICATIONS CAN BE APPROVED," MR CHAU SAID.

COMMENTING ON A SUGGESTION THAT MDAC SHOULD ASSESS AND CATEGORISE THE EQUIPMENT NEEDS OF ALL PUBLIC HOSPITALS, MR CHAU SAID : "I BELIEVE THAT THIS TASK WOULD BE OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF THE MDAC, WHICH IS TO ADVISE GENERALLY ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES.

THE

MEDICAL

MR CHAU ALSO SAID HE WAS VERY CONSCIOUS OF PROFESSION'S CONCERN ΤΟ IMPROVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR POST-GRADUATE TRAINING AND THAT CAREFUL THOUGHT WAS BEING GIVEN TO THE REPORT BY THE WORKING PARTY ON POST-GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING.

THE

PROPOSAL IN THIS REPORT FOR AN ACADEMY OF MEDICINE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FURTHER TRAINING OF DOCTORS TO SPECIALIST WAS ENDORSED BY THE MDAC IN MARCH THIS YEAR, HE NOTED.

то

BR

LEVEL

"I AM CONFIDENT THAT AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT'S 申报 MR CHAU INTENTIONS ON THE MATTER WILL BE MADE IN A FEW MONTHS' TIME, ADDED.

TURNING TO PRIVATE HOSPITAL DEVELOPMENTS, MR CHAU SAID :

APPROPRIATE

"WHILST WE RECOGNISE THE ROLE OF PRIVATE HOSPITALS, WE DO NOT CONSIDER THAT REDUCTION OF LAND PREMIUM WOULD BE SUFFICIENT OR AN MEANS TO ENCOURAGE NEW PRIVATE HOSPITAL DEVELOPMENT."

BUILDING

AND

"OF GREATER IMPORTANCE ARE THE HIGH COSTS

OF EQUIPING SUCH HOSPITALS AS WELL AS A LONG PERIOD OF COST RECOVERY," HE EXPLAINED.

THE GOVERNMENT ON PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SERVICES, MR CHAU SAID WAS COMMITTED TO UNDERTAKE A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SERVICES.

"THIS REVIEW WILL COVER THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF PRIMARY HEALTH ROLE OF AND WILL FOCUS ON GENERAL OUT-PATIENT SERVICES AND THE GOVERNMENT IN PROVIDING SUCH SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY, HE SAID.

CARE

π

/"IT WILL .****