XN000022-1995-01-25 — Page 22

-

- 12 -

The first elderly health centre commenced operation in May 1994, and is welcome by all who have used its services. The second and third centres will be operational in 1995/96. The other centres are in the pipeline. These centres will serve the important purpose of developing and fine-tuning protocol and logistics of preventive and promotive services in an out-patient setting. The intention is to accumulate practical experience so that future centres will be successfully integrated in our out-patient clinics on a territory-wide basis.

Concern has been raised by the Hon Fred Li about dental services for elderly people. The Government's policy on dental service is to provide preventive and promotive services to the general public, and curative service to persons in need of emergency treatment, to specified groups, and to in-patients in public hospitals whose dental treatment forms an essential part of their medical treatment. For elderly people who are CSSA recipients, special grants are in place to provide financial assistance for dental treatments in designated dental clinics and clinics run by non-governmental organisations and non-profit making bodies.

Health Screening

The points raised by the Hon Fred Li and other Members about increasing the accessibility of service venues, improving co-ordination among service providers, providing integrated care, promoting intersectoral collaboration and enhancing community participation are well taken, and deserve our support.

The issue of health screening is a complex subject and I wish to sound a word of caution. As far as I am aware, population screening of the scale proposed by some Members has not been practised in other countries. Health screening programmes should as a rule be based on cost benefit analyses. One must also bear in mind that screening is very much part and parcel of clinical practice. For example, taking of blood pressure and routine urine examinations constitute some form of informal screening. Most elderly persons have access to regular healthcare services, either in the public or private sector. Screening for people as they present themselves to healthcare services is recognised by healthcare professionals to be the most effective and practicable way of identifying people at risk. It would also make the best use of existing resources. Similarly, the Working Party on Primary Health Care advocated the introduction of screening for people aged 65 and above attending general out- patient clinics. The planned integration of elderly health centres into our general out- patient clinics is clearly in line with this recommendation.