HONG KONG: Patients' rights concern groups and lawmakers urged the government to closely monitor the private doctors who are going to give patients human swine flu jabs so as to avoid a misuse of public funding.

The government last week said it secured 3 million doses of swine flu vaccine from French drug maker Sanofi Pasteur. The first batch of 500,000 doses will be available next month.

About 2 million people in high-risk groups - including children from six months old to younger than six years old, elderly people aged 65 or older, people with pre-existing medical conditions, as well as health care and slaughterhouse workers - can receive the shots free of charge.

Controller of the Centre for Health Protection Thomas Tsang Ho-fai yesterday said private doctors can also buy doses from the government, but added that the price has yet to be set.

He said if private doctors give shots to the high-risk groups identified by the government, authorities will reimburse the fees they paid for the jabs and give them an extra HK$50 per shot as service fees.

Tsang urged private doctors to give priority to vaccinating high-risk groups when the first batch of shots arrives in the city next month, but they are not barred from giving the limited shots to others.

His remarks were made after meeting with representatives of the Hong Kong Medical Association and the Hong Kong Doctors Union.

Lawmaker Joseph Lee Kok-long, the chairman of the Legislative Council's panel on health services, said, "The government should make sure the five high-risk groups will get the shots first by reaching an agreement with private doctors."

While Tsang said authorities will leave it to individual doctors to assess whether the patients seeking free inoculations have chronic diseases, Lee called on the government to allow only registered long-term patients, like those who pay regular visits to public clinics, so as to avert any misuse of taxpayers' money.

Tim Pang Hung-cheong, of the Society for Community Organization, which defends rights of the underprivileged, including patients, urged the government to do random checks on the private doctors who register to help give shots to high-risk groups.

"If any problem is spotted, the Medical Council should step in to look into it," he said. "The government should also draw up a blacklist to disclose which doctors have breached the agreed terms."

Cheung Tak-hai, the chairman of the Alliance for Patients' Mutual Help Organisation, said that some private doctors may exploit the loopholes to make money.

He also urged authorities to better monitor the doctors who are going to join the scheme.

Cheung Man-kwong, a legislator of the health services panel, said, "The current arrangement is problematic. We cannot make sure those in dire need will get the shots first. It is just an honest system."

But he noted that if strict regulations are put in place, private doctors may choose not to take part in the program.

Tsang said that, so far, he has no idea how many private doctors will help out and how many doses will be sold to them.

Private doctors can charge high-risk groups for the inoculation service, but the fees will be posted on the government's website, he said.

Tsang said the five high-risk groups can get the shots for free at public clinics, however.

(HK Edition 11/10/2009 page1)