XN000022-1992-05-20 — Page 23

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 1992

21

WAITING TIME FOR EYE SURGERIES TO BE REDUCED

THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITY IS PLANNING TO INTEGRATE ITS EXISTING SERVICES WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF OPHTHALMOLOGY IN PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL TO PROVIDE A NETWORK OF THREE TERTIARY REFERRAL EIGHT SECONDARY REFERRAL CENTRES FOR EYE SURGERIES.

CENTRES AND

HON

FOR HEALTH AND THE PLAN WAS OUTLINED BY THE ACTING SECRETARY

A

BY QUESTION

THE WELFARE, DR S.H. LEE, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO HENRY TANG IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SERVICE

CO-ORDINATION

BETTER HE SAID THIS WOULD LEAD TO HELP TO REDUCE THE WAITING TIME FOR OPHTHALMOLOGICAL OPERATIONS.

AND

DR LEE SAID THE WAITING TIME FOR SUCH OPERATIONS DEPEND ON NATURE AND SEVERITY OF THE DISEASE INVOLVED.

THE

"WHILE OCULAR EMERGENCIES ARE NORMALLY HANDLED BY THE

URGENT HOSPITALS, AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ACCEPTED BY THE ARGYLE STREET OPHTHALMIC CENTRE, CLINIC AND PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL, HE SAID.

ACCIDENT REFERRALS ARE TANG CHI NGONG

EYE

"IN ALL CASES, SURGERY IS ARRANGED ALMOST WITHIN DAYS OR WEEKS DEPENDING ON THE DEGREE OF URGENCY INVOLVED.'

PATIENTS

THE WAITING LIST.

WITHOUT WAITING

OR

**

OF

PLACED NON-URGENT CASES SUCH AS CATARACT ARE

ON

AND SIX MONTHS AT AND TUEN MUN

THE WAITING TIME RANGES FROM BETWEEN FOUR THE SOUTH KWAI CHUNG CLINIC, EAST KOWLOON POLYCLINIC HOSPITAL, TO BETWEEN 16 AND 18 MONTHS AT THE ARGYLE STREET CENTRE, TANG CHI NGONG EYE CLINIC AND PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL.

OF THE WAITING

OPHTHALMIC

TIME AND

DR LEE SAID PATIENTS WERE INFORMED

EARLY APPOINTMENT AT ANOTHER HOSPITAL THEY MAY REQUEST FOR AN CLINIC.

"REGULAR

CONSULTATIONS

ARE

OR

ΤΟ

THESE AND TO

FOLLOW-UP

PROVIDED OF ANY DETERIORATION

THEIR CONDITIONS PATIENTS TO DETECT PROVIDE PRIORITY ARRANGEMENTS WHERE APPROPRIATE," HE ADDED.

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