As your President, I was again invited by the Chief Executive at the end of last year to have a meeting with him and other healthcare representatives in the Central Government Offices.
I was one of the five medical representatives to meet the Chief Executive, Mr. Tung Chee Hwa, on 13th December 2004. In that one and a half hour meeting, there were altogether 14 representatives from the Medical and Nursing Profession. Among them were 5 Medical Practitioners, 4 Chinese Medicine Practitioners, 3 Dentists and 2 Nursing Professionals. From the number of representatives for each individual profession, you might have an idea that our Profession is still the leader in the Medical and Health Sector.
On your behalf, I expressed our three main concerns to the Chief Executive: (1) Public and Private healthcare services imbalance; (2) Different degree of control on registered and unregistered healthcare providers and (3) Issue of CME.
(1) Public and Private healthcare services imbalance -
Similar to last year, I echoed Dr. C H Leong’s view in the meeting to urge the Government to define and designate a timetable to execute the scope and coverage of health care by the public sector. I asserted that without such determination by the Government, it would be difficult for the private sector to find ways to serve the community. And without which, the dual public and private healthcare system in Hong Kong could not be sustained.
(2) Different degree of control on registered and unregistered healthcare providers -
I made a remark of the double standard adopted by the Government in trying to protect the health of the community. I urged Mr. Tung to look seriously into the matter of unregulated activities of HMOs, drug stores and the “Health Food” industry.
The Government has put stringent control measures on us, Chinese Medicine Practitioners, nursing profession and paramedical personnel for years and yet there has been little control on the three commercial “health care enterprises”. Should the activities by such industries go unchecked, the efforts made by the Government in maintaining the quality of health care in Hong Kong would be undermined.
In essence, I urged Mr. Tung to regulate the activities of HMOs and put forward the Medical Practice Act of Australia on "Corporations Engaged in the Provision of Medical Services" (please refer to P. 4 of the HKDU December 2004 Bulletin) for his reference. I further quoted the 28 reports from our members on illegal drug sale by drug stores to the Department of Health in the past one and a half year and complained to him that there had not been much work done by the Government so far. I was astonished by his expression of ignorance with regard to the matter. However, it was nice to note that he would follow up on the matter. As far as the “Health Food” Industry was concerned, I urged the Government to tighten the control of excessive “Health Food” advertisements on paper and through the electronic media of Hong Kong. Our Union urged the Government to prohibit advertisements of all “Health Food” with misleading claims to protect the health of our citizens from unnecessary side effects of such “health food” and to avoid delay in management of potential diseases.
(Post meeting note: I have another meeting with the Department of Health on 21st December 2004 and suggested the Government take reference to the method adopted by the United States in the control of sales of health food as follows:-
Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (1994) in
a) the FDA has not evaluated the statement, and
b) the product is not intended to “diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”)
(3) Issue of CME -
I urged Mr. Tung to look into the overall picture of the Medical Scene rather than simply carrying out piecemeal jobs. Instead of insisting on Mandatory CME by medical practitioners, I explained that the issue should be left to the decision of our own profession, allowed by the Basic Laws. To push across certain control over the profession without sound reasons by the Government would further tarnish the ruling ability of the Government and I urged Mr. Tung to act before it is too late. No one, including Prof Lieh Mak, in the meeting expressed an opposing statement to our stand on CME.
The aforementioned points summarize my main messages to Mr. Tung within twenty minutes in the meeting and I trust that I have conveyed your message to him loud and clear.
Our Council has tried our best to work on and to launch the new MPP last December. To keep the plan going, I hope that enrollment from our members would attain more than 300 in number. The success of the plan very much depends on your support. If you have any queries, you are always welcome to call our secretariat, Dr. Leung Hon Fai and me.
That said, I wish you all a happy and prosperous new year of 2005!
Dr. Yeung Chiu Fat Henry