TNAG-0655-FCO40-804-Development-of-medical-and-health-services-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 34

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There are certain principles which should be adhered to in the consideration of this important but complex subject. To begin with, the basic aim must be for a stable situation where there is a cadre of efficient and proven career officers at all levels on the permanent establishment who comprise the "back bone" of the Service and who are able to provide and maintain the standard of the Service over the years.

There will, however, be a certain turnover among Medical Officers at all levels, and this is beneficial in that the Service does not become stagnant. It must also be remembered that the hospitals and clinics within my Department provide valuable training areas for the young doctors who desire to obtain further experience in the general field or in some specialties before deciding to remain either in Government Service or to go into private practice. In this connection, analysis of data over the last 5 years reveals that on the average more than 75% of the medical officers who have resigned have seen service in the Medical Department for only 1 to 4 years.

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However, aspirations for reasonable terms and conditions of service and job satisfaction among Medical Officers must be borne in mind because no Service wishes to retain members who are dissatisfied and frustrated. Sensible proposals on these matters from relevant quarters will therefore always be considered very carefully.

Last but not least, the Public Interest must be guarded, Thus, in specific areas and certain specialties where recruitment is particularly

difficult, contract terms can be offered instead of pensionable appointment to suitable officers who are willing to undertake these functions for a time, but do not wish to make a career in the Service.

Taking a broader view of the matter, the number of doctors in the Service has been increasing steadily over the years and the overall supply of doctors for Hong Kong will also be much improved with the addition of 100 doctors graduating from the Chinese University annually from 1987 onwards in addition to the 150 who are already being produced by the Hong Kong University. Recent steps taken overseas to stop recruiting medical staff from outside their own countries are likely to encourage more local people to remain in Hong Kong.

In so far as nurse training is concerned a new nurses training school capable of producing an additional 100-150 nurses per annum will be built at the Princess Margaret Hospital in order to cater for the needs of the new hospitals and clinics which are scheduled to be completed in the 1980s. I am also happy to report that we are having some success in recruiting trained psychiatric nurses who are Hong Kong belongers back from training in the United Kingdom.

Both in-patient and out-patient facilities require a large complement of para-medical staff and in its 1976 review the MDAC has endorsed training policies designed to produce such staff in sufficient numbers to man existing and new facilities. To this end, eristing training facilities

within the Department can be expanded and we are considering measures to provide additional training locally hopefully to be implemented next year,

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