Public to have say

THE Government might shelf a proposal to link medical fees to operating costs - if there was public opposition to such a plan, said the Secretary for Health and Welfare, Elizabeth Wong Chien Chi-lien.

Speaking after visiting Ruttonjee Hospital yesterday, Mrs Wong said: ''We will not insist on having our own way, if the public does not accept it.

''Medical services are a whole community's concern, and not a matter for a few senior officials to impose on the populace.'' There are fears that the proposal, contained in a Green Paper entitled Towards Better Health, will lead to higher charges.

She said people could air their views even after the consultation period, ending on September 30.