Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ10: Procurement of medical instruments

Following is a question by Dr Hon Law Chi-kwong and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, in the Legislative Council today (November 5):

Question:

Regarding the procurement of medical instruments by the Hospital Authority ("HA"), will the Government inform this Council whether it knows:

(a) the criteria and procedure adopted by HA and its hospitals for deciding to procure a particular type of medical instrument or otherwise;

(b) the medical and other uses of the intense pulsed light ("IPL") devices, and whether overseas medical institutions use IPL devices for medical purposes;

(c) if HA hospitals have procured IPL devices; if they have, of the names of the hospitals concerned, the uses of the instruments, the costs of procurement and the respective numbers of patients who had received IPL treatment in each of the past three years; and

(d) which HA hospitals have plans to procure IPL devices or additional ones, the estimated costs involved and the estimated average annual numbers of patients who will receive IPL treatment?

Reply:

(a) At present, the Hospital Authority (HA) procures medical equipment for existing hospitals using an annual allocation made available under a block vote. Procurement of medical equipment by HA has to be fully justified based on operational needs and is planned through a systematic process. The Chiefs of Service and managers concerned in hospitals will advise on the types of medical equipment to be procured, having regard to the service needs. For equipment items of new medical technologies, the Clinical Co-ordinating Committee of the specialty concerned will be consulted on the need for such equipment items. Priorities will then be set with input from the respective Cluster Chief Executives. Procurement of major medical equipment costing one million dollar or above per piece has to be approved by the Chief Executive of HA.

As for medical equipment procured for new hospital projects funded under the Capital Works Reserve Fund, HA will critically assess and draw up a list of medical equipment items to be required for each project. The Health, Welfare and Food Bureau will then scrutinise the list of proposed medical equipment items. The cost estimate for furniture and equipment (F&E) and the full list of F&E items costing one million dollar or above per piece will be included in the paper on the new hospital project submitted to the Legislative Council Public Works Subcommittee for Members' endorsement.

(b) The intense pulsed light (IPL) devices can be used for medical purposes in treating a wide variety of skin lesions including pigmented skin lesions, vascular malformation and scars as well as in skin resurfacing. According to the knowledge of HA, medical institutions in Japan, Taiwan and the United States of America also use IPL devices for treatment of the afore-mentioned skin problems.

(c) HA purchased a set of laser and intense pulsed light system in early 2002 at a cost of $1.53 million for medical purposes. The system is now installed at Tuen Mun Hospital and so far, 319 episodes have been performed for treatment of patients with various skin lesions. Two similar machines were also purchased by the University of Hong Kong using their own funds in late 2002 and are sited at Queen Mary Hospital under the management of the University clinical unit.

(d) HA does not have any plan to purchase IPL devices in 2003-04.

Ends/Wednesday, November 5, 2003
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