XN000022-1991-05-01 — Page 23

22

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 1991

SIR,

THE

IMPORTANCE OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SHOULD BE RECOGNISED. IT IS RECOGNISED IN THE REPORT OF THE WORKING PARTY ON PRIMARY HEALTH CARE WHICH I TABLED IN THIS COUNCIL LAST WEDNESDAY. IN THE SAID REPORT, OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH IS RECOGNISED AS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF PRIMARY HEALTH CARE. THE REPORT RECOMMENDS, INTER ALIA, THAT AN OVERALL REVIEW OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SHOULD NOW BE CONDUCTED THE LIGHT OF CHANGING PRACTICES IN INDUSTRY, EMERGING PATTERNS OF OCCUPATION AND NEW CONCEPTS OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH. WE ARE NOW CONSULTING THE PUBLIC ON THIS REPORT AND WILL GIVE DUE CONSIDERATION ΤΟ THE VALUABLE VIEWS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS SUBJECT TODAY. FURTHERMORE, POLICIES AND SERVICES ON REHABILITATION AS A WHOLE ARE CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW AND WILL BE COVERED IN A GREEN PAPER TO BE PUBLISHED FOR CONSULTATION LATER THIS YEAR AND I LOOK FORWARD ΤΟ MEMBERS VIEWS.

AND

VIA

I THINK, SIR, TO BE TRULY SUCCESSFUL, PRESERVATION PROMOTION OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH WILL NEED AN INTEGRATED APPROACH THE COMBINED EFFORTS OF SOCIAL WORKERS, HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS, EMPLOYERS, EMPLOYEES AND THE GOVERNMENT. BETTER OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH CARB MUST BE PARTICIPATORY, WITH DUE INVOLVEMENT OF ALL CONCERNED.

SIR, WITH THESE REMARKS, I SUPPORT THE MOTION.

SEM ON OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

OCCUPATIONAL

FOLLOWING IS THE SPEECH ON THE MOTION DEBATE ON HEALTH AND SAFETY BY THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON K. Y. YEUNG, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SIR,

I HAVE LISTENED WITH GREAT INTEREST TO THE POINTS MADE BY DR LEONG AND OTHER MEMBERS THIS AFTERNOON. THE MOTION BEFORE US COVERS TWO PROGRAMME AREAS, NAMELY, EMPLOYMENT AND REHABILITATION. MY

COLLEAGUE THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE HAS ALREADY DEALT

WITH

THE LATTER. I WILL NOW DEAL WITH THE EMPLOYMENT RELATED ISSUES OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY. IN SO DOING I SHALL TRY AS FAR AS POSSIBLE TO RESPOND TO THE POINTS OF PRINCIPLE MADE BY VARIOUS MEMBERS IN THIS DEBATE.

/HAZARD PREVENTION