01 view
Written by: Commentary Editing Room
2021-05-05 17:40
Last update date: 2021-05-05 17:43
A 14-year-old boy with autism and intellectual disability fell to his death from a building in 2016 and was convicted of an accident on Tuesday (4th).
Although the case will have a paragraph, the case reveals the lack of social support for the disabled. The coroner lamented that the SWD’s planning is only at the stage of "beautiful and macroscopic pictures", and the problem remains to be addressed by the government.
Soon after the boy fell from the building and died, the Kangqiao House was found to be inadequately caring for the residents, and often needed to be replaced by other residents temporarily. In order to cope with the inspection, he needed to fill in the schedule with "ghost employees", and there were also former staff. It was revealed that there have been cases where 100 people in the hospital had no health workers on duty.
Zhang Chaoxiong observed for many days and said that the boy's death was obviously caused by human and institutional negligence.
(Photo by Chen Jiayi)
Industry labor shortage and high turnover rate
The responsibility in this respect lies in the fact that the homes fail to meet the Social Welfare Department’s guidelines for the need for one caregiver for every 40 residents and one health care worker for every 60 residents.
But on the other hand, have the relevant guidelines been formulated in consideration of the difficulties in actual implementation and given certain support?
Obviously, the guidelines for such a manpower ratio are inherently unreasonable. When each caregiver has to take care of 40 residents at the same time, it is difficult to pay attention to every detail.
When people with disabilities express their self-needs even worse, such a small proportion of staff makes it difficult for them to get caring and proper care. In severe cases, negligence can easily lead to casualties.
From another point of view, no matter how perfect the SWD’s guidelines are, if the industry’s labor shortage and high turnover rate are not resolved, the industry will only be caught in the predicament of clever women.
In the face of the chronic shortage of caregivers in residential care homes, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's first Policy Address after taking office in 2017 mentioned that the salary of such staff would be increased to increase the attractiveness of the industry.
It is a pity that the adjustment is mainly aimed at subsidized institutions, and the adjusted salary still falls short of the median or even the dishwasher. In addition, this is an offensive industry. Therefore, the measures will relieve the industry, especially the private sector. The manpower pressure of the homes did not help much.
The government is not only inadequate in salary adjustments, but also starts with the establishment of a clear promotion prospect and a good industry image in order to fundamentally retain and attract new labor force to join.
Moreover, the government has only conducted three data surveys of the disabled group in the past 20 years. How can you understand the practical difficulties and needs of this group, the distance between ideals and reality, and the worsening of the shortage of disability homes? The citizens in need faced such institutions as the "Cambridge House", but they had no choice but to endure it, and many tragedies occurred.
(Profile picture)
Beautiful policies on paper
Obviously, behind the failure of institutions to meet the manpower requirements is the lack of government support for the industry, and even the lack of understanding and indifference to the relevant groups.
The embarrassment of the people's livelihood policy caused by such excessive remarks is not only in the issue of residential institutions and the care of the disabled, but also in many livelihood issues.
Take the development of primary medical care as an example.
The government established a primary health service working group in 1989. However, since most of the subsequent reports are repetitive and vague, it lacks practical practical recommendations and systematic planning, plus the investment in it never exceeds the health expenditure. 10%. Even decades have passed. The severe supply of public hospitals has been in short supply with advanced primary care reforms. Even Carrie Lam has to admit that this job is 30 years behind.
Regarding the housing problem that is the most headache for Hong Kong people, the government dared not touch the vested interests. It neither dared to recover all the land for the Fanling Golf Course, nor did it use the Land Resumption Ordinance to recover 1,700 hectares of brown land and more than 1,000 hectares. For agricultural land stockpiled by developers, legislation on vacancy tax on first-hand properties has been suspended.
Under the "good picture" of the government, the reality is that property prices are steadily rising, the waiting list for public housing is getting longer and longer, and it is difficult for the people to live in peace.
It is undeniable that these problems are complex and require the government to be careful and determined to resolve them.
However, these issues are related to people's livelihood. It is the foundation for every citizen to be properly taken care of and whether they can live with respect, and it is also the foundation for the stability of Hong Kong society.
Therefore, when dealing with these reforms of people’s livelihood, the government needs to be wary of "talking" as "doing" and "doing" as "doing well". It must see the reality under the "macro and beautiful picture" described by the policy and not let the public Living and working in peace and contentment has only become a mirage in the bustling city.
The Hong Kong version of "Silent Scream" Coroner's Court convened, who will be held accountable
5-year-old girl and her brother have been abused for half a year with little intervention in society, child protection mechanisms are insufficient
Three questions caused by the hospital's hastily criticizing the cognitive impairment Weng's withdrawal
Disabled persons in residential homes
