Hospital service's cost-cutting efforts could lead to probe

THE Hospital Authority's use of cheaper drugs and other measures designed to increase efficiency may be the subject of a government inquiry, amid fears patients will suffer.

The Secretary of Health and Welfare, Elizabeth Wong Chien Chi-lien, is considering setting up an investigation after the Legislative Council's health services panel voiced concern about the authority's plans to save more than $30 million this year.

A government spokesman said: ''We are concerned that the authority may be prescribing cheaper drugs in order to improve its efficiency, but we cannot say at this moment that there will be an inquiry.'' The worries arose after the chief executive of the authority, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, briefed members on the organisation's budget at a closed-door session last week.

The panel was told that more than $30 million could be saved in certain areas of the authority's operation which would be re-directed to new and existing services.

Mrs Wong is awaiting written confirmation of the contents of Dr Yeoh's briefing before deciding on the need for an inquiry.

Dr Leong Che-hung, convenor of the panel, said: ''We are concerned that this approach will lead to a deterioration in the quality of services.

''The management reforms which have taken place within the authority seem to have been accepted but what we need now is a transparent medical audit of the authority to find out if patients have benefited.'' During the briefing, Dr Yeoh said practices adopted by the authority to improve efficiency and eliminate waste included the use of cheaper, generic drugs, and nasal catheters, rather than masks, to administer oxygen.