Add human touch to HA numbers game

  

“There is a story behind every number. Numbers alone are meaningless. Only by touching up the numbers with a meaning can we convey the essence of our core message and ideas to the public,” says new Hospital Authority (HA) Board Member Philip Tsai, who is the chairman of Deloitte China and has almost 40 years’ experience of planning and managing audits.

HA is a vast institution with nearly 80,000 employees. Instead of just telling people how many beds and grants are needed and how much manpower is required for the future, Philip says it is necessary to convey the human stories behind the numbers. These stories revolve around staff dedication, teamwork, and management strategies which contribute to HA’s achievements.

  

Philip once served as chairman of the Hospital Governing Committee of the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (BTS) and non-executive director of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority. He is currently chairman of the Physiotherapists Board and deputy chairman of Hong Kong Red Cross. He understands that the way decision makers interpreting numbers determines the effectiveness of policy implementation. “For instance, simply pointing out that we need 260,000 bags of blood a year or 1,100 donors a day fails to convey to people the importance of blood donation,” he says, “Therefore in recent years, the BTS has connected its core message more effectively with daily lives through slogans such as Donate blood before you travel.”

Promoting public policy is similar to leading a professional services firm, Philip believes. “There must be effective use of resources and proper management of clients’ demands to ensure smooth operation,” he says. “Improving user experience to provide professional services and managing reputational risk to gain public trust also count. I hope to share my experience from the accounting and business sector with HA, and further enhance the communication between HA and the public.”