TNAG-0740-FCO40-944-Quarterly-progress-reports-from-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 40

CONFIDENTIAL ##

GF 323

Subject

18. Dental School

CONFIDENTIAL

at the Univer- sity of

Hong Kong

Para-medical Training

Purpose

To establish a dental school at the University of Hong Kong.

7

Progress made and present position

A further meeting of the Project Steering Committee was held on 24th August 1978.

It was satisfied that the project was progressing well and that the final target date would be met. It also decided that the project should be called the Hong Kong Dental Teaching Hospital, in order to reflect its dual function. Action has been initiated to determine the foes pavable by patients attending the hospital.

To provide training facilities (a) A mecting was held on 12th October 1978 to in certain of the para-medical

fiolds covered by the

Supplementery Medical

Professions Bill now being finalised; expanded facilities arc also

required to meet

the rehabilitation programme and now projects endorsed by the Medical Development Advisory Committee.

To control opticians by

20. Optician

Legislation and legislation and to provide Training

training courses for them at the Hong Kong Polytechnic.

機密

monitor progress. It noted that courses for physiotherapists, occupational therapists, rediographers and medical laboratory technicians were started at the Hong Kong Polytechnic on 2nd October 1978 as planned.

and

(b) The Supplementary Medical Professions Bill

has been deferred pending the University Polytechnic Grants Committee's advice on para-medical studios in general. This advice is expected to be forwarded to Government early in November 1978.

The problem of the optician profession was re-appraised by the parties concerned at a meeting on 4th October 1978. It was agreed that:

(a) ophthalmic opticians should be subject to

legislative control, but not dispensing opticians as envisaged previously; the former would be made responsible for the latter through a Code of Practice;

(b) full-time courses would be introduced at the

Hong Kong Polytechnic for both groups;

(c) the present part-time course to qualify

existing 'dispensing opticians' would continue, though this should be, run down gradually as more and more people become fully trained; and

Next quarter targets

To hold further meetings of the Steering Committee to review

progress on all matters relating to the completion of the project.

To submit the Bill to the Executive Council as soon as possible.

To prepare drafting instructions.