XN000022-1993-02-24 — Page 14

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1993

NURSING SHORTAGE MOTION DEBATE

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE SPEECH BY THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MRS SHELLEY LAU, WHEN WINDING UP THE MOTION DEBATE ON NURSING SHORTAGE AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TONIGHT (WEDNESDAY):

MR PRESIDENT,

FIRST, LET ME JOIN HONOURABLE MEMBERS IN PAYING TRIBUTE TO OUR DEDICATED NURSES. WE OWE MUCH TO THEIR CONSISTENT HARD WORK AND QUIET CONTRIBUTION - THOUGH SOMEWHAT MORE VOCAL TODAY IN MAINTAINING A HIGH STANDARD OF MEDICAL CARE FOR THE PATIENTS IN HONG KONG. AS DR HUANG POINTED OUT IT IS A WIDELY RECOGNIZED FACT THAT IN A PATIENT'S HEALING PROCESS, NURSES PLAY A KEY ROLE IN PROVIDING CARE, COMFORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT.

BUT MR PRESIDENT, WHILE NURSING IS A REWARDING AND HIGHLY REGARDED PROFESSION, IT IS ALSO AN INCREASINGLY DEMANDING PROFESSION. AS HONOURABLE MEMBERS HAVE SUGGESTED A NEW DIRECTION IS CLEARLY NEEDED TO MEET CHANGING NEEDS OF BOTH NURSES AND THE COMMUNITY. WITH RAPID ADVANCEMENTS IN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY AND RISING EXPECTATIONS FROM AN AGEING COMMUNITY, I REASSURE HON JAMES TO THAT WE MUST ENSURE WE HAVE NOT JUST AN ADEQUATE NUMBER OF NURSES, BUT THE TYPE AND QUALITY OF NURSING TO COPE WITH THE NEEDS OF HOSPITALS, CLINICS AS WELL AS WELFARE AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES. WE MUST AT THE SAME TIME ENSURE ADEQUATE TRAINING AND SUFFICIENTLY ATTRACTIVE TERMS AND CONDITIONS

TO

KEEP OUR NURSES WORKING HAPPILY.

MEANWHILE, LET ME FIRST RESPOND TO THE DOUBTS EXPRESSED BY MEMBERS ABOUT THE ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF NURSES IN HONG KONG. IN TERMS OF STATISTICS ALONE, HONG KONG COMPARES FAVOURABLY WITH OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE REGION. WE HAVE A RATIO OF 4.85 NURSES PER 1,000 POPULATION, COMPARED WITH 3.18 IN SINGAPORE, 2.08 IN KOREA, AND 1.9 IN TAIWAN. OF COURSE, THESE FIGURES ALONE CANNOT ALLAY MEMBERS CONCERNS ABOUT NURSING SHORTAGE IN REALITY. BUT THEN WHAT ARE THE ACTUAL NUMBERS PRACTISING THEIR PROFESSION THESE DAYS? WHILST NURSING SHORTAGE IS APPARENT ARE WE REALLY SHORT OF THE NUMBERS OF NURSES THAT MEMBERS HAVE REPEATEDLY SUGGESTED? I HAVE LOOKED TO THE NURSING BOARD FOR AN ANSWER, BUT THE NURSES REGISTER THERE CANNOT OFFER ONE. IT DORS NOT FULLY REFLECT THE MOVEMENT OF NURSES IN AND OUT OF HONG KONG, OR IN AND OUT OF THE PROFESSION. THE SYSTEM OF REGISTRATION IS BADLY IN NEED OF CHANGE. UNTIL THIS IS DONE, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A PERCEIVED SHORTAGE OF NURSES WHATEVER THE REALITY IS. I HOPE THAT THE NEWLY APPOINTED MEMBERS OF THE NURSING BOARD WILL SOON PUT FORWARD PROPOSALS ON HOW BEST TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM OF UPDATING THE REGISTER. ONLY THEN CAN WE ACCURATELY ASSESS THE NUMBER OF NURSES THAT WE HAVE VERSUS THE NUMBER THAT WE NEED.

/T WOULD