FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1976
GRANTHAM HOSPITAL TO BECOME A HEART CENTRE
******
GRANTHAM HOSPITAL, ONE OF TWO CHEST DISEASE HOSPITALS RUN BY THE HONG KONG ANTI-TUBERCULOSIS AND THORACIC DISEASES ASSOCIATION, IS TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO A MAIN HEART CENTRE, WHERE AN INSTITUTE OF CARDIOLOGY MAY BE ESTABLISHED,
THIS WAS STATED BY THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR. G.H. CHOA, IN HIS ADDRESS TO THE LIONS CLUB OF HONG KONG (HOST) THIS AFTERNOON.
HE SAID THE TRANSITION OF GRANTHAM HOSPITAL FROM A CHEST DISEASE TO HEART DISEASE HOSPITAL WAS NECESSITATED BY THE DECLINING TREND OF TUBERCULOSIS INCIDENCE AND THE INCREASED PREVALENCE OF HEART DISEASES IN HONG KONG.
HE POINTED OUT THAT TUBERCULOSIS, ONCE HONG KONG'S NUMBER ONE KILLER DISEASE, HAD NOW RECEDED TO THE SEVENTH PLACE.
IN VIEW OF THE PROGRESSIVELY DECREASING NUMBER OF CASES DETECTED, THE DEPARTMENT IS RE-DIRECTING THE MASS RADIOGRAPHY SURVEYS FROM GROUPS OF ASYMPTOMATIC PEOPLE TO THOSE AT RISK.
DR. CHOA SAID THE RISK GROUP INCLUDED WORKERS IN THE DUSTY OCCUPATIONS AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE SYMPTOMS OF CHEST DISEASES SUCH AS COUGH, BLOOD-STAINED SPUTUM AND DIFFICULTY IN BREATHING.
+WE NOW TREAT TUBERCULOSIS IN OUR OUT-PATIENT CLINICS AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, AND BECAUSE OF THIS WE HAVE BEDS IN OUR TUBERCULOS IS HOSPITALS WHICH ARE NOT FILLED, HE SAID.
THE DIRECTOR SAID AFTER VERY CAREFUL CONSIDERATION AND FOLLOWING THE ADVICE OF TWO EXPERT CHEST PHYSICIANS FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM, IT HAS BEEN DECIDED THAT THE RUTTONJEE SANATORIUM WILL REMAIN AS THE MAIN CHEST HOSPITAL IN HONG KONG AND THAT GRANTHAM HOSPITAL WILL BE USED AS THE MAIN HEART CENTRE.
THERE IS ALREADY AN OPEN-HEART SURGERY UNIT IN GRANTHAM HOSPITAL, AND IT IS PROPOSED TO RENOVATE IT BY ADDING SOME OPERATING THEATRES, INTENSIVE CARE UNITS, X-RAY AND LABORATORY FACILITIES AND STAFF QUARTERS.
THE CAPITAL COST OF THIS PROJECT IS ESTIMATED TO BE IN THE REGION OF $17 MILLION.
DR. CHOA SAID IT WAS HOPED THAT FUNDS COULD BE RAISED FOR CAPITAL WORKS BY THE HONG KONG ANTI-TUBERCULOSIS AND THORACIC DISEASES ASSOCIATION AND THE NEWLY FORMED HONG KONG HEART FOUNDATION LIMITED, WHILE GOVERNMENT WOULD REVISE THE PRESENT METHOD OF SUBVENTING THE HOSPITAL IN ORDER TO MEET THE INCREASED RECURRENT COST.
suvaling