- 13-
Though these developments will reduce pressure on both Queen Mary
and Queen Elizabeth Hospitals, further thought is being given supplementing
this programme with additional beds in a new hospital in East Kowloon. Apart
from this I doubt if much improvement in this programme of construction is
either possible or necessary. But there are other ways in which services can be
improved.
Regionalisation
The first is to make more efficient use of the beds and facilities available
by means of regionalisation. This major re-organization will be carried out in 1977.
I will leave it to the Director of Medical and Health Services to expand on this
concept.
Community Nursing
The second is to consider whether the application of community nursing at present provided by some voluntary organisations should be expanded or might help to ease the pressure on hospital beds. A Working Party has submitted a report to the Medical Development Advisory Committee whose views the Government will consider.
Drug Treatment
The third is in facilities for drug treatment. Four methadone maintenance clinics were opened in December 1974 and more recently 14 detoxification clinics. But now that interception of supplies is more successful, it is essential to ensure that clinics are available to addicts wherever the demand exists. Your
Government intends to keep a close eye on this.
Supply of Doctors
The fourth is supply of Doctors. The new medical school at the Chinese
University will admit its first intake in 1981, and will eventually produce 100 doctors a year supplementing the 150 doctors produced by the existing medical school at the Hong Kong University. But this is still ten years in the future.
Meanwhile it is hoped that a considerable number of so-called 'unregistrable
doctors' will be licensed. About 1,700 have applied to take the examination, and the first
to qualify after a period of assessment should start practise in 1979.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.