STAND. COM. REP. NO.2463

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.B. No. 2982

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2982 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOSPITALS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require hospitals to provide security for any personal property of patients during their period of hospitalization.

Your Committee finds that elderly individuals are oftentimes admitted to hospitals with various personal effects such as eyeglasses, dentures, hearing aids and other assistive devices that are necessary for their daily activities. Unfortunately, these items may become misplaced or lost during routine patient care but the hospital facility takes no responsibility for their replacement. Especially for the poorest elderly patients, the cost of replacement of these items is not within their means, and requires assistance through government programs that may not provide timely replacements of their lost items. Your Committee further finds that some elderly patients may never receive replacement of these assistive devices and thus their already frail condition is further exacerbated by this loss. Your Committee agrees that the hospital facility should take some responsibility for ensuring that patient's personal effects are inventoried upon their admission, so that healthcare workers and visitors alike will be more aware about and careful in handling these items.

Testimony in support of this measure was offered by the Senator representing the 5th Senatorial District. Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by Hawaii Pacific Health system.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2982 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,

____________________________

DAVID MATSUURA, Chair