Mentally ill treated 'too late'
MORE than one-third of psychiatric patients are admitted to hospital for treatment only after their illness has become serious.
Government statistics show there were 9,181 in-patient admissions last year, 57 per cent of which involved schizophrenic disorders. But of those, 3,329 admissions were made through the accident and emergency departments, including 1,092 new and 2,237 known cases.
Twenty-five per cent of schizophrenic patients went back for treatment within 18 months of being discharged.
Also 10 per cent of patients failed to turn up for their follow-up consultation. There were 4,671 schizophrenic patients recorded in 1994, but the figure increased to 5,294 last year.
The government figures also showed a 24-hour hotline run by the Hospital Authority for psychiatric services had been under-utilised. Only 900 calls were made to the hotline last year. Democratic Party legislator Dr Huang Chen-ya said the figures were worrying.
He said it indicated the health authorities had failed to identify patient illness before it reached a stage which could pose a danger either to themselves or the public.
'This is a time-bomb. There could be a serious violent incident if the situation continues,' Dr Huang warned.
He said the Government had also allocated too little money for new anti-psychotic drugs which mentally ill patients found more acceptable than standard treatment.
In the year 1995-96, only $1.89 million was spent on the scheme, while $14.2 million was assigned to traditional medicine.
Dr Huang said he would move a motion debate in the Legislative Council next month urging the Government to improve health services for Hong Kong's mentally ill.
In a reply to legislators' questions, the Government said the Hospital Authority was planning to launch a psychiatric clinical information system.
