Improving the medical services of the various clusters under the Hospital Authority

Hon Fred LI Wah-ming’s original motion: (Translation)

That the proportion of the Government’s expenditure on medical and health services in its recurrent expenditure has increased from 15.9% in 2007-2008 to 16.5% in 2011-2012, but population ageing and population growth have resulted in increased healthcare costs, and the Government’s development of the healthcare industry and private medical services in the absence of proper manpower planning has led to a serious wastage of healthcare manpower and manpower shortage in the public healthcare system, and the manpower retention measures adopted by the Hospital Authority (‘HA’) have resulted in further increases in the costs of public medical services; at the same time, owing to the uneven distribution of resources among the various clusters and the lack of transparency in the allocation of manpower and resources within individual clusters, many community hospitals are unable to improve services in response to the demands of residents within the communities; in this connection, this Council urges the executive authorities to face up to the problems of increasing healthcare costs and healthcare manpower shortage, review the policy direction and the pace of developing the healthcare industry and private medical services to reduce the impact on the public medical system, improve the management of HA, set a staffing establishment so as to ensure that public medical resources are put to proper uses and spent on the districts and fields with the greatest need, and apart from handling problems commonly found in various districts, such as the HA Drug Formulary rendering many patients unable to get the required drugs, long waiting time for services of accident and emergency departments as well as specialist out-patient services, long booking periods for surgical operations, difficulties in booking out-patient services and the non-provision of dental services in the public medical system, etc., focus particularly on clusters facing a particularly severe shortage of medical resources and manpower, such as New Territories West Cluster and Kowloon East Cluster, etc., and allocate more resources and manpower to respond to people’s aspirations and improve services within the districts; the relevant measures should include:

(a) to expand United Christian Hospital and include the provision of oncology services;

(b) to extend the services of Tseung Kwan O Hospital, provide a more comprehensive range of healthcare services, and draw up a timetable for equipping it with delivery rooms;

(c) to introduce 24-hour out-patient services or services of the Accident and Emergency Department in Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital;

(d) to expeditiously and fully launch the new facilities at Pok Oi Hospital, which was redeveloped in 2007, for service commencement;

(e) to extend the services of North District Hospital by providing in-patient services in its Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine Department, strengthen the support for its Accident and Emergency Department, and, in view of the various major medical incidents at North District Hospital, to raise the number and quality of its healthcare personnel; and

(f) to improve transportation support for Lantau Island residents going to Princess Margaret Hospital, and expeditiously complete the construction of North Lantau Hospital, so as to provide medical services for Lantau Island residents.

Motion as amended by Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lau: (Translation)

That the proportion of the Government’s expenditure on public medical and health services in its recurrent expenditure has increased from 15.9% in 2007-2008 to 16.5% in 2011-2012, but population ageing and population growth have has resulted in increased healthcare costs, and the Government’s development of the healthcare industry and private medical services in the absence of proper manpower planning has and its refusal to provide healthcare personnel in the public healthcare system with reasonable working conditions have led to a serious wastage of healthcare manpower and manpower shortage in the public healthcare system, and the manpower retention measures adopted by the Hospital Authority (‘HA’) have resulted in further increases in the costs of public medical services; at the same time, owing to the uneven distribution of resources among the various clusters and the lack of transparency in the allocation of manpower and resources within individual clusters, many community hospitals are unable to improve services in response to the demands of residents within the communities; in this connection, this Council urges the executive authorities to face up to the problems of increasing healthcare costs and healthcare manpower shortage mismatch, review the policy direction and the pace of developing the healthcare industry and private medical services to reduce the cause positive impact on the public medical system, improve the management of HA Hospital Authority (‘HA’), set a staffing establishment so as to ensure that public medical resources are put to proper uses and spent on the districts and fields with the greatest need, and apart from handling problems commonly found in various districts, such as the HA Drug Formulary rendering many patients unable to get the required drugs, long waiting time for services of accident and emergency departments as well as specialist out-patient services, long booking periods for surgical operations, difficulties in booking out-patient services and the non-provision of dental services in the public medical system, etc., focus particularly on clusters facing a particularly severe shortage of medical resources and manpower, such as New Territories West Cluster and Kowloon East Cluster, etc., and allocate more resources and manpower to respond to people’s aspirations and improve services within the districts; the relevant measures should undergo cost-benefit assessment and may include:

(a) to expand United Christian Hospital and include the provision of oncology services;

(b) to extend the services of Tseung Kwan O Hospital, provide a more comprehensive range of healthcare services, and draw up a timetable for equipping it with delivery rooms;

(c) to introduce 24-hour out-patient services or services of the Accident and Emergency Department in Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital;

(d) to expeditiously and fully launch the new facilities at Pok Oi Hospital, which was redeveloped in 2007, for service commencement;

(e) to extend the services of North District Hospital by providing in-patient services in its Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine Department, strengthen the support for its Accident and Emergency Department, and, in view of the various major medical incidents at North District Hospital, to raise the number and quality of its healthcare personnel; and

(f) to improve transportation support for Lantau Island residents going to Princess Margaret Hospital, and expeditiously complete the construction of North Lantau Hospital, so as to provide medical services for Lantau Island residents.

Note: Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lau’s amendment is marked in bold and italic type or with deletion line.