TNAG-1363-FCO40-1809-Hong-Kong-Hansard-reports-and-minutes-of-the-meetings-of-the-1985 — Page 263

Supplementary to Question No. 5 in the

Legislative Council on 10 July 1985

Dr. Ip:- Sir, as regards the motor cycle ambulance support scheme, is the

department considering a more sophisticated medical training scheme for such

motor cycle ambulancemen i.e. if they were to be revived? I believe there

had been once a terminology called Paramedic' that was suggested at some

stage.

Secretary for Security:- Yes, Sir, the question is whether this ambulanceman

on the motor cycle should be trained up to what is termed 'paramedic' level.

It is actually quite a tricky question to answer; it is a question of balancing

some quite expensive training costs with the benefits to be gained by a man on

a motor cycle, literally minutes ahead of an ambulance, having quite a high

level of training. It is actually a tricky balancing exercise. What we are

doing, Sir, is asking the consultant who will be undertaking a review of the

ambulance services as a whole to have a look at this particular question. It

may well mean that he would have to refer back to other authorities to get

medical advice.