XN000022-1992-07-01 — Page 28

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1992

THE SECRETARY SAID A WORKING PARTY LED BY FINANCE BRANCH, AND INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MONETARY AFFAIRS BRANCH, WORKS BRANCH, THE TREASURY AND THE GOVERNMENT SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT, HAD MET A NUMBER OF TIMES TO CONSIDER HOW BEST TO PROTECT THE GENERAL REVENUE FROM EXCHANGE LOSS.

THE MAIN CONCLUSIONS OF THE WORKING PARTY WERE THAT INDIVIDUAL PURCHASES BELOW $10 MILLION SHOULD BE REGARDED AS MINOR AND NO SPECIAL MEASURES WERE NEEDED BUT THAT PURCHASES ABOVE THAT VALUE WERE SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO WARRANT CHANGES IN EXISTING PROCEDURE.

MR YEUNG NOTED THAT THE PROVISO RELATED TO THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE SUCH A RESTRICTION WOULD RESULT IN 4 SIGNIFICANT AND UNACCEPTABLE REDUCTION IN THE DEGREE OF COMPETITION IN THE TENDERING PROCESS.

"IN SUCH CASES, TENDERERS WILL BE ALLOWED ΤΟ QUOTE IN

CURRENCIES OTHER THAN HONG KONG OR U.S. DOLLARS,

LL

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HE SAID.

MR YEUNG SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD WISH IN SUCH CASES TO PROTECT THE GENERAL REVENUE EITHER BY BUYING FORWARD ON THE OPEN MARKET OR BY BOOKING OUR FOREIGN EXCHANGE REQUIREMENTS AT A FIXED PRICE WITH THE EXCHANGE FUND AS SOON AS THE CONTRACT WAS SIGNED, AS WAS DONE FOR THE TSING MA BRIDGE CONTRACT,

SCOPE TO REVIEW DOCTORS AND NURSES RATIOS

* * * * * *

THE RATIOS FOR DOCTORS AND NURSES IN HOSPITALS DRAWN UP BY THE FORMER MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE ARE GUIDELINES FOR REFERENCE AND PLANNING PURPOSES.

THEY ARE NOT VIEWED IN ISOLATION BUT IN THE CONTEXT OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS OVERALL.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON MICHAEL HO MUN-KA IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY), THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MRS ELIZABETH WONG, SAID:

"SINCE THE PLANNING RATIOS WERE LAST REVIEWED IN 1987, BASED AS THEY WERE ON HOSPITAL BEDS, THERE IS SCOPE TO REVIEW THESE RATIOS HAVING REGARD ΤΟ ADVANCES IN MODERN TECHNOLOGY AND TREATMENT PROCEDURES NOT ONLY IN A HOSPITAL SETTING BUT ALSO IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE."

SHE SAID THE PRESENT PROVISION OF DOCTORS AND NURSES FOR INDIVIDUAL HOSPITALS HAD ITS ORIGIN IN THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF STAFF IN HOSPITALS WHEN THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITY (HA) TOOK OVER THE MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL PUBLIC HOSPITALS IN DECEMBER LAST YEAR.

/THE PROVISION