TNAG-1609-FCO40-22131-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 153

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a

18.

I am very much in sympathy with Dr. Conrad Lam's

views on the desirability of providing hospice-type

services for terminally-ill patients, although I think

that given the resource constraints it will be some time

before we are able to introduce this service generally in

our public hospitals. The Medical Development Advisory

Committee advised in March of this year that in principle

е hospice care should be introducă, although the methods

adopted elsewhere will probably need to be adopted to some

extent to meet local conditions. I am very glad that

several subvented hospitals are introducing various forms

of palliative care for patients who are terminally ill,

while the Medical and Health Department has started two

pilot schemes in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the

Prince of Wales Hospital for a hospital visitation

volunteer service which will co-ordinate the voluntary

services available.

14.

The

Dr. Chiu spoke at some length on the importance of

genetic counselling, and the need to make the general

public aware of the existence of this service, so that

better use can be made of the existing facilities.

Director of Medical and Health Services informs me that

education and publicity on medical genetics and genetic

counselling are now being undertaken by the Medical and

Health Department, the Hong Kong Society of Medical

Genetics and voluntary agencies interested in the subject,

and plans have been drawn up by the

cment for the

development of this service.

pepartment

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