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Following is a question by the Hon Lee Wing-tat and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (February 24):
Question:
Some public hospital patients have relayed to me that at present, medical reports issued by the Hospital Authority (HA) on patients' requests are written in English, but many patients cannot read English and when they need medical services while residing or working on the Mainland, it is also often difficult for the healthcare personnel there to trace their medical histories and treatments received in the past on the basis of such medical reports. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether it knows the reasons why HA provides medical reports only in English to patients;
(b) given that the majority of the population in Hong Kong are Chinese, some of whom can read Chinese only, and when they request for medical reports, no Chinese version of the reports is provided by HA, whether the authorities have assessed if HA has violated the section on safeguarding patients' right to information under the Patients' Charter; if they have, of the assessment results; and
(c) given that when Chinese was initially made an official language in Hong Kong, it was specified in some legal documents and contracts prepared in English that the English version should prevail in case ambiguity arose between the Chinese and English versions, whether HA will make reference to this practice and provide Chinese medical reports on patients' requests?
Reply:
President,
In general, healthcare professionals will clearly explain the medical conditions and methods of treatment to patients during the course of treatment, and the HA will also issue patients with a medical report on request. My reply to various parts of the question is as follows:
(a) English is the most commonly used language around the world in the profession of western medicine. English is also the medium of instruction for training of local medical professionals. The medical terminology adopted in clinical record and medical reports are mainly in English and in Latin or Greek for certain common medical terms. It follows that the local medical professionals who received training in western medicine would mainly use English when preparing clinical record and medical reports. The same practice has been adopted in both public and private hospitals in Hong Kong. Western medical practitioners in the Mainland have also received training on English terms in the profession. There are no obstacles in the communication between medical professionals in Hong Kong and the Mainland.
It should be pointed out that the main function of medical reports and patients' records is to record and report on patients' clinical conditions, so that the most suitable treatment can be provided to the patients. As English is the common language under the western medicine system, medical reports and patients' record in English can reflect more accurately patients' conditions for communication among medical practitioners and for the purpose of patient referrals.
(b) & (c) Patients can request the healthcare professionals to explain the contents of their medical reports and patients' right to information is thereby protected. As for the occasional requests for provision of medical reports in other languages, HA will source the information on translation services in the market and provide it to patients in need for reference.
Ends/Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Issued at HKT 16:33
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