XN000022-1993-10-07 — Page 16

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1993

GOING THEN TO THE FIRST PART OF THE HONOURABLE MEMBER'S QUESTION. I DON'T ACCEPT THAT WE DON'T HAVE A SENSIBLE STRATEGY FOR THE HEALTH SERVICE AT PRESENT, THOUGH THE HONOURABLE MEMBER IS ENTIRELY RIGHT TO SAY THAT THE COMMUNITY IS GOING TO HAVE TO FACE SOMB DIFFICULT AND IMPORTANT STRATEGIC DECISIONS ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HEALTH SERVICE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. BUT I SPOKE, YESTERDAY, OF OUR COMMITMENT то CUTTING QUEUES, ΤΟ IMPROVING AMENITIES, TO IMPROVING CARE FOR THE CHRONICALLY-ILL, TO DEVELOPING

OUR HOSPICE PROGRAMME, ABOUT WHICH I FEEL, MYSELF, EXTREMELY STRONGLY. ALL THOSE ARE MATTERS, AS WELL AS IMPROVING CARE FOR THE ELDERLY, WHICH FORM PART OF OUR DETERMINATION TO PROVIDE BETTER HEALTH CARE HONG KONG.

IN

I SAY,

-

WE

JUST BRIEFLY, ONE FURTHER WORD. PUBLISHED, A FEW MONTHS AGO, AN EXTREMELY WELL-WRITTEN DOCUMENT ON THE FUTURE OF THE HEALTH SERVICE IN HONG KONG, WHICH ATTEMPTED TO DEAL, IN AN INTELLIGENT AND RATIONAL WAY I THINK, SUCCESSFULLY WITH SOME OF THE FUNDING ISSUES WHICH THE COMMUNITY IS GOING TO HAVE TO CONFRONT. LIKE OTHER DEVELOPED SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITIES, WE ARE GOING TO FACE PROBLEMS IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. FIRST OF ALL, BECAUSE ADVANCES IN MEDICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CONSTANTLY INCREASE WHAT THE MEDICAL PROFESSION IS CAPABLE OF DOING AND INCREASE THE APPETITE OF PATIENTS, CUSTOMERS IF YOU LIKE, FOR GREATER HEALTH CARE. SECONDLY, FOR NUMBER OF REASONS, INCLUDING THE EXPENSES OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY, INFLATION IN THE HEALTH SERVICE TENDS TO OUTSTRIP INFLATION OUTSIDE, SO THAT YOU HAVE TO SPEND MORE MONEY TO STAND STILL IN THE HEALTH SERVICE. THERE ARE ALSO ADDITIONAL COSTS, BECAUSE WE HAVE AN AGING POPULATION, AND IN PARTICULAR, AN AGING, AGING POPULATION MORE VERY ELDERLY

AND THE ELDERLY WILL CONSUME, UNDERSTANDABLY, A GROWING PROPORTION OF HEALTH EXPENDITURE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

SO

OF

A

FOR ALL THOSE REASONS, WE ARE GOING TO SEE THE HEALTH SERVICE COST A HIGHER PROPORTION OF OUR GNP, WE ARE GOING TO SEE MORE AND MORE SERIOUS PROBLEMS ARISING IN FUNDING THE LEVEL OF HEALTH PROVISION WE WANT. WE CAN'T DUCK THOSE QUESTIONS. WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS TO TRY TO FACE UP TO THEM INTELLIGENTLY AS A COMMUNITY, AND I HOPE, NEVER LOSING SIGHT OF TWO THINGS. FIRST

ALL, ANY CIVILISED COMMUNITY SHOULD ENSURE THAT PEOPLE CAN GET THE HEALTH CARE THEY NEED REGARDLESS OF THEIR PERSONAL RESOURCES. SECONDLY, IT IS NOT AT ODDS WITH THAT PRINCIPLE TO SAY THAT THE HEALTH SERVICE, LIKE EVERY OTHER PUBLIC SERVICE, SHOULD BE AS EFFICIENTLY RUN AS POSSIBLE. AND I AM BOUND TO SAY THAT I AM EXTREMELY IMPRESSED BY THE DEDICATION I FIND, IN, FOR EXAMPLE, MANAGERS OF OUR SERVICE, PARTICULARLY MANAGERS OF THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITY'S FACILITIES. I FIND EXTREMELY IMPRESSIVE THEIR DEDICATION TO DOING THE BEST FOR THEIR PATIENTS BY SPENDING THE MONEY WHICH IS GIVEN TO THEM IN THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT FASHION.

/CONRAD LAM: