HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL -2 November 1988
香港立法局 一九八八年十一月二日
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(c) no specific complaints about the unlawful diagnosis or treatment of patients by means of such devices have been received and therefore, there have not been any prosecutions of persons involved in such unlawful diagnosis or treatment; and
(d) there seems to be no need to license the application of the devices or methods in question since we are not aware of any widespread abuse of them; but the Medical and Health Department will continue to monitor the situation.
DR. IP: Sir, a point of clarification rather than a supplementary question. Is the Secretary saying that massagers, chiropractors, osteopaths, Chinese herbalists, bone-setters and acupuncturists may use laser and all other physical methods of treatment mentioned earlier to treat patients?
SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE: No, Sir, if they purport to be giving treatment or diagnosis to patients for diseases, they are not permitted to do so.
DR. LEONG : Sir, I would like to make a comment and ask a question. In as much as the Secretary for Health and Welfare mentioned that there has been no specific complaint about this unlawful diagnosis and treatment of patient as yet, such unlawful procedures are in existence and the medical profession will be collecting data and reporting them to the authority in the course of time. My question is that I do understand that a committee has been formed known as the Committee on Science and Technology and one of its objectives is to look into the policies concerning these high technologies. When I look through the membership of this committee, to my surprise there is only one member of the medical profession involved. As many of these high technologies will affect ultimately the management of patients, will the Administration take steps to involve more people with medical knowledge in this committee?
SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE: Sir, in reply to Dr. LEONG'S question, while it is true that there is only one medically qualified member on the Committee on Science and Technology, I would draw his attention to the existence of a working group on laser safety which has been set up under the Committee on Science and Technology and which has, among its members, two doctors.
PROF. POON: Sir, I am not answering for the Committee on Science and Technology. I am asking a supplementary question here. I would like to make a distinction between those who diagnose and treat patients and those who
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