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Following is a reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Ambrose S K Lee, to a question by the Hon Leung Yiu-chung in the Legislative Council today (November 11):
Question:
At the Council meeting on July 2, 2008, the Administration pointed out in its reply to my question on inmates' requests for Chinese medical treatments that if any inmate requested to receive medical treatments beyond the existing services, the Correctional Services Department ("CSD") would consider it on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the Medical Officers. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether any inmate has been allowed to receive Chinese medical treatments since January 2008; if so, of the number of such inmates; if not, the reasons for that; and
(b) given that some inmates have relayed to me that since the Medical Officers consulted by CSD are mostly western medicine practitioners, the advice obtained is usually that Chinese medical treatments are not necessary for the patients concerned, whether the authorities will conduct a review of this situation and seek professional advice from Chinese medicine practitioners when necessary; if such a review will be conducted and Chinese medicine practitioners will be consulted, of the relevant plan; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
Before addressing the specific questions raised by the Honourable Member, I would like to first explain the principles of and arrangements for the provision of medical services to inmates by the Correctional Services Department (CSD).
CSD respects inmates' right to medical treatment, and ensures that the necessary and appropriate medical services are provided to all inmates in accordance with the Prison Rules (Cap 234A). Every penal institution has a hospital or sick bay where medical services are provided by Medical Officers from the Department of Health (DH) and qualified nursing staff. Inmates in need of specialists' consultation, intensive care or surgery are transferred to specialist clinics or public hospitals for treatment. Moreover, medical specialists from the Hospital Authority (HA) and DH visit the relevant CSD's institutions on a regular basis to provide consultation and treatment to inmates. If an inmate requests for medical treatments beyond the scope of existing services, CSD will, for the sake of the inmate's health and safety, consider the request on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the professional advice of the Medical Officers posted to penal institutions by DH.
I will now respond to the specific questions raised by the Honourable Member as follows:
(1) Since January 2008, CSD has received only one written application from an inmate requesting Chinese medical treatment. As the Medical Officer of the penal institution concerned needed to ascertain whether the requested treatment was efficacious and safe, including whether it might have any adverse interactions with the treatment being administered which might affect the inmate's health, the inmate was asked to provide more detailed information/documents on the treatment. Since CSD has yet to receive the requested documents, the application could not be processed further.
(2) If any inmate requests to receive medical treatments beyond those provided to them by the Administration, CSD will consider the request on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the Medical Officers of the penal institutions. The main considerations of the Medical Officers include whether the treatments being administered are efficacious, and whether the additional or other treatments as requested by the inmates are necessary. The Medical Officers will consider each case on its own merits, with reference to the advice of medical specialists or other medical professionals as and when required.
Ends/Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Issued at HKT 13:12
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