【明報專訊】With the winter influenza outbreak continuing, a doctor called on the government to halt the one-way permit scheme(單程證), which has a daily quota of 150 people, on a radio programme in January 2019 to ease the strain on the public healthcare system.
Background
Mainlanders can, citing family reunion reasons, apply to mainland departments for a ''Permit for proceeding to Hong Kong and Macau'' (commonly known as the ''one-way permit'') to settle in Hong Kong or Macau. According to statistics from the Immigration Department, around 446 thousand people came to Hong Kong between 2007 and 2016 holding a one-way permit.
An occupancy rate of 180%
Every year, the public healthcare system is under the greatest strain when influenza activity is at a peak. The Hospital Authority says that on the first seven days of the year 2019, the occupancy rate of public hospitals was 87 percent on average, once reaching a height of 97 percent. The following week saw an occupancy rate of 100 percent on average, once reaching a height of 108 percent. A nurse working in a hospital in the East New Territories says that the occupancy rate of paediatric wards once hit 180 percent, so much so that some child patients had to return home ''for a holiday'' to free up hospital beds. Burdened with a heavy workload, some nurses work for twelve hours a day. Some of them, unwilling to add to the burden of their colleagues, do not take sick leave even if they are not well.
■Views
◆Stop the one-way permit scheme
All other measures will only be ''a drop in the bucket'' if the one-way permit scheme is not shelved immediately. A country or region's population policy is at the core of its healthcare or education policy. The government of any country or region has to put in place a responsible population policy or population plan.
——Dr. Wong Yam Hong, a heart specialist at Tuen Mun Hospital and a member of Médecins Inspirés
◆The scheme helps family reunion
Family reunion is a fundamental human right. The quota system allows family members of Hong Kong people (rather than mainlanders having nothing to do with Hong Kong and seeking financial benefits) to come to our city. How can a responsible government disregard such fundamental human rights?
——Ronny Tong, a member of the Executive Council
Most users of public healthcare system are elderly people
The median age of immigrants from the mainland is 33.9 years old, while people below 45 years old account for nearly 80 percent of the total. Users of public healthcare are mainly elderly people. New immigrants from the mainland have brought fresh blood to Hong Kong society. They have lesser need for public healthcare. How can they bring down public hospitals?
——Society for Community Organization
■Conflicts in perspective (see table)
Text: Ming Pao reporter
Translation: Terence Yip
[通通識 第582期]
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