SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 1975
LAI CHI KOK LEPROSY PATIENTS
NOT A HEALTH HAZARD SAY MEDICAL OFFICERS
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OFFICIALS OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT YESTERDAY (FRIDAY) MET REPRESENTATIVES OF MEJ FOO SUN CHUEN RESIDENTS TO DISCUSS MATTERS CONCERNING LEPROSY.
THE MEETING, ARRANGED BY THE SHAMSHUIPO CITY DISTRICT OFFICE, LASTED ONE AND A HALF HOURS DURING WHICH OFFICIALS EXPLAINED THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND THE MOVE OF LEPROSY PATIENTS FROM HEI LING CHAU TO THE LAI CHI KOK HOSPITAL AND REASSURRED THEM THAT THE PRESENCE OF THESE PATIENTS WOULD NOT POSE ANY HEALTH HAZARD TO RESIDENTS IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS.
IT WAS POINTED OUT TO THEM THAT THE GENERAL PATTERN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD IS TO INTEGRATE LEPROSY TREATMENT INTO NORMAL MEDICAL SERVICES, AS IT IS NOW THOUGHT THAT ADMISSION INTO A LEPROSARIUM, AS DISTINCT FROM A GENERAL HOSPITAL, MAKES SUBSEQUENT REHABILITATION AND INTEGRATION INTO THE COMMUNITY MORE DIFFICULT.
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THE OFFICIALS TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO REFUTE WHAT THEY CONSIDERED +ILL-INFORMED+ CRITICISMS IN SOME QUARTERS THAT THE TRANSFER OF THE LEPROSY PATIENTS HAD BEEN DONE SUDDENLY AND SECRETLY WITHOUT KEEPING THE PUBLIC INFORMED OF IT.
AS FAR BACK AS JULY 1971, THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED THAT IT WAS CONSIDERING CLOSING DOWN HEI LING CHAU LEPROSARIUM FOR PRACTICAL PURPOSES RATHER THAN FOR ECONOMIC REASONS. THE PLAN TO PHASE OUT HEI LING CHAU, AFTER CONSULTATION WITH THE HONG KONG LEPROSY MISSION, WAS GIVEN WIDE PUBLICITY BY THE LOCAL PRESS. LATER IN THE YEAR, THE GOVERNMENT SOUGHT THE VIEWS OF VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AS TO HOW THE ISLAND SHOULD BE USED AFTER IT HAS CLOSED BY LATE 1974. DURING THE TIME FROM THE FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE ACTUAL TRANSFER IN LATE 1974, THERE HAD BEEN NUMEROUS PROGRESS REPORTS IN THE PRESS ABOUT THE PROPOSED CLOSURE OF HEI LING CHAU.
IN OCTOBER 1972, DR. STANLEY BROWNE, MEDICAL CONSULTANT AT THE LONDON HEADQUARTERS OF THE LEPROSY MISSION, VISITED HONG KONG FOR CONSULTATION WITH THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT ON THE LEPROSY PROGRAMME. AFTER HIS FIVE-DAY VISIT. DR. BROUNE CALLED A PRESS CONFERENCE DURING WHICH HE SPOKE ABOUT MODERN SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES ABOUT LEPROSY.
THEN ON NOVEMBER 2, 1974, A FINAL THANKSGIVING SERVICE WAS HELD ON HEI LING CHAU TO MARK THE BEGINNING OF THE TRANSFER OF THE LEPROSY PATIENTS TO LAI CHI KOK HOSPITAL. THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR. GERALD CHOA, ATTENDED THE CEREMONY AND MADE A SPEECH, WHICH WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REPORTED BY THE MASS MEDIA,
/DURING THE COURSE