doctors is an uncertain factor, that should not be allowed to outweigh the pressing need for a psychiatric hospital, the third after Castle Peak Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital, to be located on the Island. The cost would be, at today's prices, as follows:
Number of beds
Doctors at 1 per 60 beds
Nurses at 1 per 4 beds
Non-recurrent cost:
www
1,000
17
250
1,000 × $50,000-$50 million
24. By comparing the hospital beds requirements given in paragraph 9 with the present provision of such beds and developments already planned or under way, (for details see Appendix 3), it is possible to construct a table of potential shortfalls in bed provision in the next decade if no new projects were conceived and executed:
Potential Shortfalls in Bed Provision
Year
General
Mater- nity
Chest and Thoracic
Infectious Diseases
Leprosy
Psychi- atric
Geriatric
Total
Recurrent cost:
1. M. & H. Department
Doctors
17×44,510
Nurses
250 × 15,802
$ 757,000 $3,951,000
$4,708,000
1972
195
2,727
2,922
1973
579
2,812
34
3,425
1974
2,884
71
2,955
1975
289
27
2,967
3,283
1976
721
87
2,138
2,946
1977
1,150
196
2,238
3,584
1978
1,782
305
2,343
4,430
1979
2,445
412
2,450
5,307
1980
3,128
517
2,561
31
6,237
1981
3,828
621
2,676
73
7,198
1982
4,638
726
2,794
117
8,275
Total cost 2.38×4,708,000-$11.2 million per year.
2.
P.W.D.
Architectural Office costs at 15 per cent of non-recurrent cost $7.5 million once only.
22. Turning from the Government to the private sector, likely new projects, as opposed to developments already under way or planned additions, are, first, a proposal to extend the Caritas Medical Centre so as to provide 300 general non-acute beds and 300 for mentally retarded children by about 1976-77, secondly, extension of the Wong Tai Sin Infirmary to provide 300 general non-acute beds by 1977, thirdly, the addition of 100 general beds at the Hong Kong Sanatorium, and fourthly, 56 general beds at the Matilda Hospital.
23. These new Government and private projects add up to the following numbers of beds:
General
Maternity
Psychiatric (including mentally retarded children)
Geriatric
Total
...
12
E
2,756 150
1,850
200
4,956
25. If the projects recommended, and summarized in paragraph 23, are carried out the shortfalls in 1982 become:
General
1,882
Maternity
576
Psychiatric
944
Geriatric
83 excess
Total
3,319
Note. Excess beds in other specialties, totalling 34, reduce the shortfall to 3,285.
26. Another way of putting the matter is to take (from Appendix 3) the total for present provision of hospital beds and developments already planned or under way, i.e. 19,254, and add to it 4,956 in respect of proposed new projects (from paragraph 23) to make a total of 24,210. With an estimated 5 million population in 1982 this gives a ratio of 4.84 beds per 1,000 population.
27. This is clearly a long way away from 5.5 beds per 1,000 popula- tion (though if the Census Circular's forecast is disproved by family planning measures the ratio will improve). But there are constraints upon additional hospital projects. One effect of Government's plans for housing, schools, mass transit etc. will be a greatly increased demand
13
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.