TNAG-1364-FCO40-1810-Hong-Kong-Hansard-reports-and-minutes-of-the-meetings-of-the-1986 — Page 19

Question No. 7

REPLY BY THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE TO A QUESTION BY DR.THE HON.CONRAD LAM IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON WEDNESDAY, 13 NOVEMBER 1985

Question:

In view of complaints that patients attending the families clinics are required to speak in English, will Government inform this Council of the percentage of non-Cantonese speaking medical staff who are working in families clinics and whether the posting of non-Cantonese speaking personnel to these clinics is justified?

sir,

Of the ten medical officers posted to the two

families clinics five are non-Cantonese speaking and five

are Cantonese speaking. 50% of the staff is therefore

non-Cantonese speaking. As there have in the past been

problems in finding sufficient local officers to fill posts

in the families clinics, it is considered appropriate to

post non-Cantonese speaking medical officers to these

clinics where their inability to speak Cantonese is less

of a handicap than it would be in general outpatient clinics.