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Following is a question by the Hon Leung Yiu-chung and a written reply by the Secretary for Health and Welfare, Mrs Katherine Fok, at the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
Will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the estimated number, by the types of diseases, of residents in the New Territory East and West regions who are suffering from chronic diseases and, among them, of the number who are staying in hospitals;
(b) how it is currently providing rehabilitation service to these people in these two regions; and whether the Administration has plans to set up community rehabilitation network centres for people suffering from chronic diseases in these two regions; and
(c) whether it knows the progress of the study undertaken by the Chinese University of Hong Kong commissioned by the Administration on current services and future developments of the community rehabilitation network in Hong Kong; and when the findings of the study will be published by the university?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) The assessment of prevalence or incidence of chronic disease requires dedicated population based studies. This is because chronicity is not by itself a disease diagnosis. Moreover, chronic disease is not necessarily recognised by the individual and the individual may not seek medical care. If treatment is needed, the individual may receive treatment either in a primary care setting or by specialists in an ambulatory or hospital setting in the public or private sectors. Based on information available, the number of patients who were admitted to hospitals operated by the Hospital Authority in the New Territories and who suffered from one of the ten common chronic diseases in 1996 is shown below:
Disease Diagnosis No of Patients Admitted to Hospital----------------- NT East NT North NT South
------- -------- --------
Mental Disorder 1614 2672 3171
Chronic obstructive 962 1490 2409
pulmonary disease
Diabetes mellitus 1390 1187 2455
Asthma 1053 1067 1892
Heart failure 790 983 1510
Chronic rental 539 589 826
failure
Epilepsy 430 670 853
Chronic liver 216 253 408
diseases & cirrhosis
Mental handicap 94 239 208
Parkinson's disease 81 91 236
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Total : 7169 9241 13968
(b) At present, persons with visceral disability or chronic illness can receive necessary support and direct services from a variety of sources. These include the 30 existing Hospital Authority patient resource centres (11 are in the New Territories region), medical social workers stationed in hospitals and clinics, social workers operating out of family service centres of the Social Welfare Department, and the three existing Community Rehabilitation Network (CRN) centres. The latter also run out-reach programmes, such as health talks and social gatherings, in response to the demand for specific support services in the New Territories.
The Administration has recently commissioned a consultancy study to review the long-term development of CRN and the cost-effectiveness of existing CRN operations. In addition, the consultancy will also examine the interface with similar services provided by patient resource centres operated by the Hospital Authority, health centres provided for the elderly and for women etc. which have seen rapid growth in recent years. The Administration will consider the future establishment of CRN centres in the New Territories in the light of the Consultant's findings and recommendations.
(c) The fact finding stage of the consultancy study has been completed and the exercise will be completed by the end of this year. The Consultants' report will be published and made available to the public once the Administration has examined the findings and recommendations and developed its response.
End/Wednesday, November 11, 1998
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