TNAG-1733-FCO40-2446-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 38

07

2

a serious problem?

wait come

Moreover, do most of the patients having to

from the poor classes?

SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE: Sir, I think that

if any patient's condition is seriously deteriorating, they can always go, of course, to the accident and emergency department of any general hospital, so I am not aware of any statistics or any cases of patients actually. dying because they were unable to see a specialist during

that time. As regards the second part of the question, I should think that

patients who attend public hospitals and out-patients

clinics are generally the less well off.

I

am

sure

we

have

no

statistics

as to exactly the economic breakdown of these people but,

in general, better/off people tend to go to private doctors and private hospitals.

MRS. CHOW:

Sir,

when

the two in 1991 and 1996,

new

how much will the waiting

specialist clinics are completed

be

time expected to be shortened in the different specialties?

SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE:

Sir, it is very

difficult to forecast that sort of figure because waiting