HC Deb 07 April 1977 vol 929 cc607-8W
Mr. Dan Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further progress is expected over the next five years in the provision of preventive health services in Hong Kong.

Mr. Luard

Over the next five years the Hong Kong Government plan:

  1. (a) to take steps to ensure the continued absence, further reduction and, where possible, eradication as appropriate of a number of communicable and other diseases;
  2. (b) to increase the number of health centres for mothers and children;
  3. (c) to introduce a comprehensive scheme for the early detection of disabilities among infants and to improve arrangements for eyesight and hearing tests in schools;
  4. (d) to establish a central health education unit and three regional health education centres; and
  5. (e) to improve the organisation and standard of health services for workers.

Mr. Dan Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give figures to show how the increase of hospital beds in Hong Kong over the past three years and the coming five years.

Mr. Luard

The information requested is as follows:

Year No. of hospital beds available
1974 … … … … 17,645
1975 … … … … 18,056
1976 … … … … 19,004
1977 … … … … 19,063
1978 … … … … 20,003
1979 … … … … 20,083
1980 … … … … 21,508
1981 … … … … 21,608

Mr. Dan Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the plans for expanding and improving the existing medical services and introducing new services to meet the changing demands of the community in Hong Kong.

Mr. Luard

The Hong Kong Government's plans include the following:

  1. (a) the completion of three new major hospitals, a further five clinics, one health centre and three poly-clinics by 1983–84;
  2. (b) the regionalisation of medical and health services to ensure a more efficient use of hospital beds and other facilities;
  3. (c) the establishment of a dental training school and a second medical school by 1980 and 1981 respectively;
  4. (d) the completion of a third nurse training school by 1981; and
  5. (e) the opening, as necessary, of additional methadone maintenance and detoxification clinics for the treatment of drug addicts.