I feel sorry for the veteran social worker, known only as Ms Cheng, who says she was pressured to resign after pointing out abuse of the medical fee waiver system ('Fees-abuse whistle-blower resigns', April 8). Rather than turning on her, Ms Cheng's supervisors should have been grateful to her for exposing the problem.
Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food York Chow Yat-ngok says the problem of medical waiver abuses is not serious as the Hospital Authority already subsidises 97 per cent of medical costs.
It seems the more people get, the more they want. The authority carries most of the medicals costs and people still try to abuse the system. People are happy to use their own money to dine out, but they are unwilling to pay hospital fees if they get sick.
Our government has been too generous in shouldering medical costs, misleading people into believing their health is its responsibility.
The abuse of medical fees waivers represents just a small section of the exploitation of Hong Kong's defective social welfare system. I know patients and families who fraudulently claim social welfare benefits such as disability allowances and road-traffic accident compensation. Overworked doctors in public hospitals face an added burden verifying applications for disability allowances, sick-leave approval and other benefits for people who do not deserve them.
I suggest social welfare benefits and medical subsidies be streamlined, and people re-educated to take responsibility for their own health.
It is the welfare system, rather than the administration of the system, that causes abuse, as people are naturally dishonest and selfish.
