Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ10: Medical facilities and medical centers of excellence
Following is a question by the Ir Dr Hon Raymond Ho Chung-tai and a written
reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative
Council today (October 20):
Question:
Will the Government inform this Council,
(a) given that the number of capital subvention projects for the provision of
medical services submitted to the Finance Committee of this Council for funding
approval had decreased in the past four sessions, whether the Government has
assessed if the decrease reflects a reduction in the medical needs of the
community; and
(b) given that it was stated in the Policy Agenda for the 2008-2009 Policy
Address that the establishment of multi-partite medical centres of excellence in
paediatrics and neuroscience to improve the quality of clinical services to
patients suffering from complex and serious illnesses as well as to enhance the
standards of research and training in the two respective medical disciplines was
under preparation, of the current status of such projects?
Reply:
President,
(a) The Hospital Authority (HA) has been planning for the provision of hardware
facilities in public hospitals having regard to such factors as the increase in
service demand arising from a growing and ageing population in Hong Kong, the
standards required of modern medical equipment and the wear and tear of existing
medical facilities. HA acquires additional medical facilities and replaces
obsolete ones through various projects in order to meet the demand for
healthcare services and ensure the provision of quality services to the public.
Over the years, we have obtained funding approval from the Legislative Council
for the use of the capital subventions to carry out a number of capital works
such as expansion, redevelopment, reprovisioning and refurbishment of existing
hospitals, improvement of facilities and equipment in hospitals as well as
construction of new hospitals. In the past four legislative years, the Finance
Committee has approved an aggregate total of more than $6.4 billion to carry out
seven capital works projects for medical facilities. Apart from this, HA is
granted allocation under Head 708 Subhead 8100MX every year to carry out
maintenance and minor improvement works for public hospitals. In 2009-10, $600
million was approved under this subhead for HA to carry out about 1,000 number
of minor works.
The planning of capital works projects involves a series of work and procedures.
In general, we need to prepare a project definition statement to describe the
requirements and specific details of the proposed project and to carry out
various preliminary technical assessments to ascertain its technical
feasibility. Thereafter we will consult the views of the local community. Upon
completion of relevant preparatory work and estimation of capital works
expenditure, we will seek funding approval from the Legislative Council and
commence the works.
Work projects pertinent to medical facilities are carried out on a needs basis.
The time required for project preparatory work is also different among projects
as the scale, scope and nature of each project are not the same. For these
reasons, there is no regular pattern for the number of projects requiring
approval from the Legislative Council for capital subventions each year. We will
continue to conduct planning for the hardware of medical facilities to ensure
that the public will continue to be provided with adequate quality medical
facilities.
(b) In the last two years, we have been working closely with experts from the
public and private medical and academic sectors as well as representatives from
allied health groups and patients' groups to prepare for the establishment of
the two medical centres of excellence. An initial consensus has been reached on
the scale and facilities of the centres. It has been decided that the two
centres will be built at the Kai Tak Development Area.
We have completed the technical feasibility study for the Centre of Excellence
in Paediatrics and are now finalising the schedules of accommodation. Upon
finalising the details, we will seek funding approval from the Finance Committee
of the Legislative Council in 2011.
We will continue to work with experts from various sectors and representatives
of related groups on matters regarding the Centre of Excellence in Neuroscience.
Ends/Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Issued at HKT 15:16
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