Having served in Castle Peak Hospital for 35 years, retiring psychiatrist Cheung Hung-kin is happy to see more of his patients leaving the hospital and leading normal lives.
'In the past, the direction of psychiatric treatment was more hospital-based. In the 1980s, the hospital was so crowded that we had to remove furniture between beds and insert more beds. The conditions were very bad,' he recalled.
Being the longest-serving doctor in the psychiatric hospital, Dr Cheung, 59, has witnessed many changes.
After a 10-year, HK$2-billion redevelopment project, the hospital now looks like a holiday resort, and the wards are much more spacious.
'Hospitalisation actually may not be good for all mental patients because this can cause stigmatisation and increase their reliance,' said Dr Cheung, who was the hospital's medical superintendent between 1986 and 1993.
'Therefore, in the recent years, we have actively developed more outreach services. The government has also increased social facilities for the patients in the community.'
Dr Cheung stressed that the reason for the change in policy was not to cut costs. He said outreach services could require more manpower and resources because staff had to leave the hospital on a regular basis.
