As member of the Election Committee, I received a letter from the previous Chief Executive on 11th March 2005 detailing the health reasons for his resignation. Following that, a number of new challenges to the Health Care System in Hong Kong have surfaced and I would expect further challenges coming up shortly.
Less than a month ago, a member contacted me inquiring about the reason for the MCHK to decide on a Second Hearing on him after his being struck off the Medical Register for 3 months in a Disciplinary Hearing of the MCHK despite there was no further “professional misconduct” nor any form of conviction by the member BEFORE AND DURING THE PERIOD OF HIS REMOVAL FROM THE REGISTER. I told him this case had no precedent and was against NATURAL JUSTICE. I subsequently told him that I had objected to MCHK’s decision and would boycott the hearing. Luckily, the member retrieved his practising right after the hearing without his physical attendance in the meeting. His defense lawyer has done a wonderful job.
As a matter of fact, do not think that you are entitled to automatic restoration to the Register after being struck off the Register under the present Legislation. You have to engage in proper behavior during the period of removal if you are the unlucky guy. The MCHK requires you to be of “good character” before they would allow you back to the Register. But for God’s sake, how does the MCHK tell who the “good” or the “bad” guys are after they have been subject to discipline on the basis of Professional Misconduct? I am concerned if CME is finally linked up with the Medical Registration one day.
During the period of April 11th to April 14th 2005, your Council was invited by the Chinese Medical Association (CMA) in Beijing to celebrate their 90th Anniversary and to attend their 23rd Five Yearly General Meeting to elect new officers. This is the first time for the CMA to have official association with the HKDU. We have sent a strong team of five representatives consisting of myself and two vice presidents to the event. One thing worth mentioning -- the newly elected President of the CMA, Prof. Nan –Shan Zhong, is not the Minister of Health of the Peoples’ Republic of China. In the past years, the Minister of Health of the Beijing Government would automatically be the President of the CMA. With the increasing demand for Democracy and Professional Autonomy nowadays, this is the first time that CMA has her President elected among her own members. During the official visit, we have had fruitful discussions on the following topics with new officials of CMA:
1. CEPA and Medical Practice in China;
2. HMOs;
3. Medical Indemnity Insurance;
4. Further collaboration between HKDU and CMA in Academic Exchange.
Apart from a Gold Sailing Boat as a souvenir to CMA, we have brought along copies of the HKDU Bulletin and Semi Annual CME Bulletin for their perusal. A detailed report of the visit can be found in the council section of this bulletin on pages xxx.
The Primary Care Working Group under the HMDAC has held three meetings since its inception in March 2005. The duty of which, as I gathered recently, is to write up a first draft on future reform in primary health care for the consideration of the HMDAC in May 2005. Up to now, the group members have agreed on the following issues in primary health care:-
1. Public Primary Healthcare Services should only be provided to those who do not have the financial capability to access services offered by the private healthcare sector;
2. Preventive services targeting high-risk diseases should be provided by the Government at a low-level charge;
3. Preventive services targeting low-risk diseases should be provided by the private sector at a cost to the population.
Other important issues in need of further discussions are:-
1. Whether GOPCs should be closed and whether corresponding system ought to be put in place for those who cannot afford private sector fees for medical treatment in the private sector in the future.
2. What are the measures to establish the Government proposed Family Doctor Concept in Hong Kong? Would implementation of tax exemption for healthcare expenditure, CME requirement of primary care doctors, tailored quality assurance system or even a revisit of the previously announced “All Doctors Group” help?
3. Should Community Geriatric Assessment Teams be outsourced contractually to the private sector to ease the overloaded Hospital Authority?
I would agree on 1 and 3. I can hardly imagine how a Family Doctor Concept will be successful in Hong Kong without the injection of Public Fund by the Government.
Up until now, there are two potential candidates for the post of Chief Executive -- Mr. Donald Tsang and Mr. Lee Wing Tat. As member of Medical Subsector of the Election Committee, I would be obliged to hear your views on the aforementioned candidates in the coming two months before casting a representative vote of our profession on July 10th 2005. So much for the new challenges upon Tung’s resignation, I shall keep you updated should new ones come up.
Dr. Yeung Chiu Fat Henry