*********************************
Following is a question by the Hon Wong Yuk-man and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (June 10):
Question:
I often receive complaints from elderly people and concern groups pointing out that it is very tiring and inconvenient for patients to go to the Shek Kip Mei Health Centre (SKMHC) for consultation. Since there is no escalator connecting SKMHC, which is located on a slope, patients need to climb an open-air staircase of almost 100 steps to reach there. Moreover, the lack of barrier-free access in SKMHC has also caused inconvenience to wheelchair users and elderly people with limited mobility. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the number of attendances of SKMHC in each of the past five years, together with a breakdown by whether the patients were "60 or above";
(b) whether it knows the number of patients who fell down and were injured at the staircase outside the entrance of SKMHC in each of the past five years;
(c) whether it will consider building escalators connecting SKMHC; if it will, of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
(d) whether it will consider building a cover for the aforesaid staircase, so that patients will not be tormented by the scorching sun and lashing rain; if it will, of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that; and
(e) whether it will consider providing barrier-free access in SKMHC (including building a wheelchair access at the entrance of SKMHC), so as to facilitate wheelchair users and elderly people with limited mobility to seek consultation; if it will, of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
(a) In the Shek Kip Mei Health Centre (SKMHC), there are a general out-patient clinic (GOPC) and a chest clinic managed by the Hospital Authority (HA) and the Department of Health (DH) respectively. The attendances of the GOPC in the SKMHC in the past five years are shown in Annex 1.
The attendances of the chest clinic in the past five years are shown in Annex 2.
Since the patient records of the chest clinic have not been fully computerised, we are unable to provide within a short period of time the statistic of attendance by age groups in the past five years through manual search.
(b) According to records of the DH and HA, no patient had fallen down and were injured at the staircase outside the entrance of SKMHC in the past five years.
(c) to (e) To facilitate access to SKMHC by wheelchair users, DH and the Architectural Services Department (ASD) plan to install a stairlift in front of the entrance of SKMHC. ASD will commence the works as soon as possible. It is expected that the stairlift will come into operation in August 2010.
Moreover, staff of the SKMHC will assist the elderly, people with mobility difficulties and wheelchair users in entering or leaving the clinics. Those in need can seek assistance from the staff by pressing the electric bell installed near the staircase in front of the entrance of SKMHC.
The Food and Health Bureau will, in conjunction with the HA and DH, continue to explore other feasible measures to facilitate access to SHMHC by the elderly, wheelchair users and others in need.
Ends/Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Issued at HKT 12:24
NNNN
