香港西醫工會呼籲地產商立即採取措施,幫助私人診所的租戶 | Call Upon Estate Tycoons for Immediate Measures To Help Private Clinic Tenants

HKDU⠀ Published at 2020-05-04

香港西醫工會呼籲
地產商立即採取措施,幫助私人診所的租戶

 

二零二零年五月四日


致新聞界朋友們:
 
 
香港西醫工會是唯一一個向職工局註冊處註冊並為公營及私營醫生提供服務的工會,以維護醫生在僱主僱員關係中的權益,香港西醫工會秉承為醫生提供不同的延續醫學進修活動,以維持和確保醫生提供最高水平的醫療服務及提升香港市民的健康。
 
當前的新型冠狀病毒肺炎(COVID-19)疫症大流行,已對香港許多中小企業的業務產生了不利影響,屋邨的私人診所也不例外。隨著大流行的發展導致實行封閉邊界和社區隔離,我們在公共和私營屋邨的私人診所的業務下降了7成至9成,一些同事面臨每月的淨虧損為港元十萬至港元二十萬和即將關閉的威脅。我們知道房委會和房屋協會自2019年10月以來暫時降低了他們的房地產診所的租金。但是,領匯似乎根本沒有降低其所有屋邨診所的租金。取而代之的是,他們堅持在本月租期屆滿後,將天水圍的一家屋邨診所的租金提高1成。
 
私家醫生在屋邨診所內給病人測試病毒,與政府一齊對抗COVID-19 疫情。因此,我們為診所的操作配備了完整的個人防護設備,每月花費約10,000港元的額外診所費用。
 
與17年前的SARS時期一樣,本會已於2020年3月13日要求領展降低租金。我們已經告訴領展關於在與COVID-19的戰鬥中處於最前線的屋邨醫生的業務損失。我們對於領展的管理層的態度感到失望。我們從報章中得悉,領展已經建立了所謂的“領展商戶同舟計劃”。但是,領展從未告知我們所有作為租戶的醫生會員這個計劃的存在,更不用說申請程序和批准標準了。
 
我們的會員面臨著前所未有的巨大挑戰,甚至比2003年SARS時期還要糟糕。租金是私人診所最大的支出項目。地產大亨應承擔企業社會責任,以分擔當前危機的不利影響。我們希望他們,尤其是領展,能夠立即採取真正的措施,以幫助我們的會員繼續為屋邨居民提供服務。
 
在此,香港西醫工會重申要求地產商,包括領展 :
(1) 停止進一步增加租金一年。
(2) 為所有屋邨診所租戶暫時減租50%,為期6個月。
 
有關查詢,請致電9013 6478 聯絡香港西醫工會會長楊超發醫生。

 


Press Release

Call Upon Estate Tycoons for Immediate Measures 
To Help Private Clinic Tenants
 

4 May 2020
Dear Reporters,

Hong Kong Doctors Union (HKDU) is an unique trade union with doctor members in both public and private services. Registered with the Trade Union Registry to look after the interests and rights of doctors in their employer employee relationship, HKDU is committed to provide Continuing Medical Education for doctors to maintain and ensure the highest standard of the healthcare doctors to cater for the health of the Hong Kong community.

The current COVID-19 Pandemic has been adversely affecting many businesses in Hong Kong. Private clinics in public and private housing estates are no exception. With the evolution of the pandemic leading to the implementation of Closing Borders and Social Distancing, the business of our private clinics in public and private housing estates has dropped by 70 to 90 % and some colleagues are facing a net loss of HK$ 100,000 to 200,000 per month and the imminent threat of closing down. We note that the Housing Authority and Housing Society have temporarily lowered the rent of their estate clinics since Oct 2019.  However, none of our LINK estate clinic tenant members has reported that his/her rent has been temporarily lowered by any amount at all. Instead, LINK insists to raise the rental by 10% for an estate clinic in Tin Shui Wai upon its tenancy expiry this month.    

We, private doctors, have to fight with the Government against the COVID-19 by containing the virus through vigilant detection. As such, we have equipped full PPE for our clinic operations which cost additional clinic expenses around HK$ 10,000 per month. 

Our Union has asked LINK on rental reduction on 13th March 2020 as in the period of SARS 17 years ago. We have told LINK about the loss of business of public estate doctors who are in the frontline in this battle with COVID-19. We are disappointed with the LINK on the attitude of her management. We note from the media that the Link has established a so-called ‘Support Scheme for Small and Medium-sized Tenants’. However, none of all our member doctors, who are tenant doctors, has ever been informed by Link about the existence of such a scheme, let alone the application procedure and approval criteria.

Our members are facing a big challenge they have never had before, even worse than the SARS time during 2003. Rent is the biggest expense item of a private clinic. Estate Tycoons should take their corporate social responsibility to share the adverse impact of the current crisis. We hope they, particularly LINK, would take immediate and genuine measures to help our members to continue providing services to estate residents.

HKDU hereby calls upon Estate Tycoons, including Link to  

(1) Stop further increase rental for one year.
(2) Reduce rent by 50% temporarily for six months for all its estate clinics.
For enquiries, please contact Dr. Yeung Chiu Fat, President, HKDU at 90136478.