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NEED TO EXPAND MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, TODAY URGED PRIVATE AND VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS TO JOIN FORCES WITH THE GOVERNMENT TO EXPAND MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES IN HONG KONG.
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE NEW WING OF ST. PAUL'S HOSPITAL, SIR MURRAY SAID: +IN RECENT YEARS, THE DEMAND FOR MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES IN HONG KONG HAS BEEN GROWING.+
+AS GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNMENT-AIDED SERVICES EXPAND TO MEET THIS DEMAND,+ HE SAID, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT PRIVATE AND VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS DO SO TOO.+
THE GOVERNOR PRAISED THE MANAGEMENT OF ST. PAUL'S HOSPITAL FOR ITS DETERMINATION TO EXPAND AND ADAPT TO CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES, AND THUS +MAKE A BADLY NEEDED CONTRIBUTION OF MEDICAL SERVICES IN EASTERN HONG KONG.+
ALSO PRESENT AT THE OPENING CEREMONY WAS LADY MACLEHOSE.
THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH:
+ IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO ATTEND THIS CEREMONY TO MARK BOTH THE OPENING OF A NEW EXTENSION, AND THE 60TH YEAR OF OPERATION OF ST. PAUL'S HOSPITAL.
+SINCE ITS FOUNDATION IN 1917 BY THE SOCIETY OF ST. PAUL DE CHARTRES, THIS HOSPITAL HAS MADE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE TREATMENT OF THE SICK IN HONG KONG, IT PROVIDES A WIDE RANGE OF TREATMENT FACILITIES AND THE OPENING OF THE NEW EXTENSION WILL NOT ONLY ADD TO THESE FACILITIES BUT WILL ALSO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF BEDS FROM 180 TO 430.
+THIS HOSPITAL IS AN ADMIRABLE EXAMPLE OF THE WAY IN WHICH VOLUNTARY AND PRIVATE ORGANISATIONS IN HONG KONG SUPPLEMENT THE GOVERNMENT'S OWN SERVICES.
+THERE ARE AT PRESENT 11 PRIVATE HOSPITALS WITH A TOTAL OF 2,300 BEDS PROVIDING SERVICES, FOR 73,000 PATIENTS ANNUALLY. WHILST SOME OF THESE HOSPITALS HAVE BENEFITED FROM GRANTS OF LAND AT REDUCED OR NIL PREMIUM OR FROM REFUNDS OF RATES, MOST, LIKE ST. PAUL'S, ARE FINANCIALLY ENTIRELY SELF-SUPPORTING.
+ IN RECENT YEARS, THE DEMAND FOR MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES IN HONG KONG HAS BEEN GROWING. AS GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNMENT-AIDED SERVICES EXPAND TO MEET THIS DEMAND IT IS
IMPORTANT THAT PRIVATE AND VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS DO SO TOO.
+ IT IS THEREFORE PARTICULARLY GRATIFYING THAT THE MANAGEMENT OF ST. PAUL'S HOSPITAL HAS SHOWN SUCH DETERMINATION TO EXPAND AND ADAPT TO CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES, AND THUS MAKE A BADLY NEEDED CONTRIBUTION OF MEDICAL SERVICES IN EASTERN HONG KONG.
+FINALLY, I CONGRATULATE THE SISTERS OF ST. PAUL AND ALL THEIR STAFF WHOSE DEDICATION AND HARD WORK OVER THE YEARS HAS ENSURED THE SUCCESS OF THIS HOSPITAL.
+ DECLARE THIS NEW WING OPEN.+
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