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Cross-disciplinary, cross-sectoral, cross-departmental and multi-tasking approaches have become increasingly the norm in the provision of health and social services in the modern world, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, said.
Speaking at the 7th Pan-Pacific Conference on Rehabilitation and 2010 Graduate Student Conference on Rehabilitation Sciences this morning (October 23), Mr Cheung cited three policy initiatives announced in the 2010-11 Policy Address to demonstrate the Government's determination to enhance psychosocial and physical care for those in need.
"The three important measures that integrate health and social care reflect how the rehabilitation scene has evolved to keep abreast of the changing needs of the patients, persons with disabilities and elders," he said.
The Integrated Discharge Support Programme for Elderly Patients (IDSP) is an example of enhanced medical-social interface for the betterment of frail elders.
He said, "The programme, which was first introduced as a pilot in 2008, offers one-stop pre-discharge planning and training as well as post-discharge rehabilitation programmes and intensive home support services to facilitate elderly patients' speedy recovery at home.
"We have decided to turn it into a permanent, territory-wide service in the next two years to benefit 33,000 elders each year."
"Our measures on cross-disciplinary collaboration for holistic care do not stop at elders. Everyone deserves the best start in life", Mr Cheung noted.
"We will enhance our assistance to autistic children to facilitate early identification, assessment and treatment to ensure that they receive appropriate care and support during their development."
Healthcare-wise, Mr Cheung said that the Hospital Authority would strengthen its professional team comprising child psychiatrists, paediatricians, clinical psychologists, nurses, speech therapists and occupational therapists, and increase its service quota by 2,000.
Parents and carers of autistic children will also be provided with more information to enhance their understanding of autism and the treatment needs of these children.
"For my part, the Social Welfare Department will also step up its service by increasing places for pre-school early intervention service and training. Our medical social service will be strengthened to dovetail with the Hospital Authority's enhanced service," he added.
People with mental health problems are another major patient group that would benefit from collaboration between the health and social care systems.
"Our new district-based and one-stop service delivery mode of the Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness came on stream this month across the territory.
"Our aim is to provide one-stop, accessible and integrated community mental health support services, ranging from prevention to crisis management, to discharged patients, persons with suspected mental health problems and their families living in the district.
"We will significantly strengthen the manpower of these wellness centres to provide accessible and comprehensive service for more persons in need. Psychiatric assistance to people with mental health problems will also be enhanced," he said.
On securing permanent accommodation, Mr Cheung called upon district leaders and residents to show more understanding to facilitate the setting up of these wellness centres.
"Successful rehabilitation should not be the sole responsibility of professionals and policy-makers. The essence of holistic rehabilitation is social inclusion and this entails the support of all members of the community," he said.
In view of all the territory-wide measures in rehabilitation and Hong Kong's fast ageing population, Mr Cheung said that a substantial increase in demand for healthcare practitioners, including physiotherapists and occupational therapists, was expected in the years ahead.
"To rise to the challenge, the Government will increase the supply of healthcare personnel through a multi-pronged strategy, including encouraging tertiary institutions to increase student places for these disciplines and strengthening training programmes provided by the Hospital Authority," he said.
Ends/Saturday, October 23, 2010
Issued at HKT 10:28
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