TNAG-1729-FCO40-2442-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 106

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and subvented hospital staff which must be at least partly

responsible for the unacceptably high wastage rate of

doctors in the subvented sector. I hope too that the new

package will be more flexible than the civil service terms

civil service

and that this will make it more attractive to the doctors.

сар

H.

I share Mr. Cheong-Leen's concern about the

supply of dentists. It is my understanding that up to and

including last year the graduates of the Prince Philip

Dental Hospital were able to get jobs, but there is

concern about the future. The Medical Development

Advisory Committee has set up a Dentists Sub-committee to

look into this matter. The sub-committee consists of

members representing the Dental Faculty of the University

of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Dental Association, the

Medical and Health Department and my Branch, and is

expected to complete its report within the next few

months. I hope that this report will give us a clearer

picture of the situation, and enable us to decide what

action needs to be taken.

S.c

12.

I was interested in Mr. Cheong-Leen's suggestion

that more use should be made of the private sector in

meeting the Government's obligation to provide dental

treatment for civil servants and pensioners.

However, in

view of the difficulties which occurred when this idea was

previously tried, I doubt if it is a practicable

proposition..