5
-
Monday, April 30, 1973
ROLE OF POK OI HOSPITAL
Dr. G.H. Choa, Director of Medical and Health Services, said
today he hoped people in the Yuen Long and Castle Peak areas of the New
Territories would make full use of the expanded facilities of the Pok Oi
Hospital.
He was speaking at a reception in the Medical headquarters to
mark the annual visit of the Hospital's Board of Directors, headed by the
Chairman, Mr. Koo To-shing.
The Pok Oi is an assisted charitable hospital with 162 beds. It
carries out the role of a general hospital for the western area of the
New Territories, including Yuen Long and Castle Peak the latter being
a rapidly-expanding centre of population.
-
Since 1972, a number of improvements have been introduced to
encourage people in rural areas to use the Pok Oi Hospital instead of attending
overcrowded government hospitals in Kowloon.
In line with this policy, the Finance Committee of the Legislative
Council recently approved a recommendation by Dr. Choa that from April 1
this year, the Pok Oi Hospital's subvention be increased for the current
year from $1.5 million to $2,116,000.
Twenty of its 162 beds are being set aside for non-acute cases,
and can be used for the transfer of patients from other districts in the
New Territories, and urban areas, so as to make full use of available beds.
The others are for acute medical, surgical and gynaecological cases.
Dr. Choa thanked members for their concern for the health and
welfare of people living in rural areas and for their recognition of the
growing importance of the Pok 01 Hospital in the New Territories.
16