At last, the name of our Association was changed to HONG KONG DOCTORS UNION LIMITED(HKDU) as approved by the Registrar of Companies on 14.4.2000. Subsequently, other names formerly used by our Association also needed to be changed. The EDANEWS was changed to the Doctors Union News, the EDA Medical Aid Scheme was changed to the Doctors Union Medical Aid Scheme, the Open forum announced recently was changed to Doctors Union's Forum, our homepage address was changed from http://www.eda.org.hk to http://www.hkdu.org, our email address was changed from eda@eda.org.hk to hkdu@hkdu.org. In view of the small number of members in the Estate Doctors Club, the name of the Estate Doctors (Club) Association Limited remained unchanged. So far, we have received a number of designs for the logo of HKDU. The Council would decide on the most suitable one after the deadline for submission. In the meantime, the logo of Estate Doctors Association will be used continuously until further notice.
Recently, the four Associations, viz. HKDU, ALMCHK, PEDA and APSHK have sent invitation to members of the medical profession to join the Hong Kong Healthcare Association(HKHA), formerly referred as the "All Hong Kong Doctors Group". So far, over 700 doctors have indicated their wish to join the HKHA. Some colleagues who do not like to serve contract medicine for whatever reasons may wish to wait and see the progress. According to some reliable sources, certain tycoons in town are planning to solicit all the doctors of Hong Kong to join their commercial "All Hong Kong Doctors Group". This will certainly jeopardize our Dignity and Autonomy. To prevent further financial exploitation by these profiteering HMOs at the expense of the quality of healthcare, it is time for us to unite together to form the non-profit making HKHA where we can preserve our professional autonomy and set our own standards of clinical practice and quality improvement programme. If we have more than 1,000 doctors willing to join us, we will definitely proceed to form the HKHA. Please join the HKHA now!
Some members of the medical profession are questioning our intention of forming the HKHA. They are worried that the HKDU will ultimately control the HKHA. Please be assured that this will never happen for the following reasons:
Right from the beginning, I have repeatedly stated that the Hong Kong Medical Association(HKMA) should be the right body to supervise the setting up of an “All Doctors’ Group” so as to give all doctors a fair play by cutting out the middlemen who are outside the profession. This can be evidenced in my campaign letters for the HKMA Vice Presidency two years ago and my statement in the Commercial Radio programme “風波裏的茶杯” recently. In July 1997, our Association urged the HKMA to set up the “All Doctors’ Group”. HKMA then formed an Ad Hoc Committee to look into the matter and I was appointed the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee. Regrettably, the HKMA Council rejected our proposal in 1998. Subsequently, our proposal was taken up by the abovementioned four Associations. Many meetings and discussions had been held by the four Associations for the past two years to look into the feasibility of setting up the HKHA with the ultimate aim of serving the medical profession and the people of Hong Kong better.
Secondly, HKHA is open to all registered doctors of Hong Kong and should be administratively and financially independent from any medical body. The HKDU, just like other medical bodies, will be keeping a close watch on the profiteering HMOs and the non-profit making HKHA.
I suggest that the immediate missions of the HKDU will include the followings:
Once again, we would like to solicit your support of the proposed Special Resolutions of the coming Extraordinary General Meeting. Should you have any question, you are most welcome to contact one of our Council Members or myself for clarification.
Dr. Yeung Chiu Fat Henry
我會終於改名為「香港西醫聯會」，獲得會員鼎力支持和按着香港特區政府公司法例辦妥了手續。我們的名字已在2000年4月14日正式生效。隨着名字的改變，我會的某些附屬產物亦需要改名。EDANEWS改為Doctors Union News，新邨西醫醫援計劃改作西醫聯會醫援計劃，近期所宣佈的公開論壇改名為西醫聯會論壇。我們的網址由http://www.eda.org.hk改作http://www.hkdu.org，電子郵件地址由eda@eda.org.hk改為hkdu@hkdu.org。為簡易操作起見，Estate Doctors Association (Club) Ltd.名字不變，它與HKDU的關係就是與EDA以往關係一樣。現在已收到了一些HKDU的會徽設計，會董會將決定那一個是最合適。暫時沿用EDA的會徽直至另行通告為止。
會員仍記得我們曾與香港醫務委員會執照醫生協會，公共屋邨執業西醫協會及私家執業專科醫生協會商討及向全港醫生推介創立香港醫療服務協會（全港醫生大聯盟的另一名字）。直到現在我們已有超過700 個醫生積極回應，因種種原因而不願意參與契約醫療的同業請靜待發展。至於其它一向已服務於契約醫療者，現在正是一個好機會去參與一個自己能有份話事的組織。如果我們自己不組成一個龐大組織（譬如超過一千會員），某些城中大亨便會向全港醫生招手參與他們的商營“全港醫生大聯盟”而會危害我們的尊嚴與專業自主。
有些醫生正懷疑我們組成「香港醫療服務協會」的目的。他們擔心西醫聯會會有一天控制香港醫療服務協會，我要澄清這完全是謬論。
首先，本會的確於1997年7月首次建議「全港醫生大聯盟」，這建議曾交與香港醫學會，而香港醫學會促成專責小組去研究這建議而本人是小組的主席。很遺憾，1998年香港醫學會會董會否決了這「全港醫生大聯盟」的建議，不過所提及的四個會採納了這個建議。自從1998年起，不知開了多少次會議，探討過這建議的可行性，目標不外是為本港醫生和香港人服務。而且我重複地說過多次香港醫學會是統籌和領導這方面的最佳人選，至於證明請大家參考我兩年前競選香港醫學會副會長的競選刊物和我近日於商業電台節目“風波裏的茶杯”的講話。
第二，我應該指出香港醫療服務協會，是開放予香港所有醫生，同時該在行政與經濟上獨立而不受約束於任何醫生團體。香港西醫聯會就像其他醫生組織一樣有責任去監督HMO 的運作，包括由所有香港醫生擁有的一間¾「香港醫療服務協會」。
我認為香港西醫聯會的當前急務是：
最後，2000年5 月30 日的特別會員大會中的特別決議，是值得大家再次全力支持，歡迎大家以任何方式去與我或任何會董接觸討論細節。
楊超發醫生
C1867c2000/Othercir(3)