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MONDAY, MAY 30, 1977
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MORE DOCTORS TO MAN GOVT. OUTPATIENT CLINICS
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THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS TAKING FURTHER STEPS TO EXPAND FACILITIES AT GOVERNMENT CLINICS TO COPE WITH THE INCREASING DEMAND OF PATIENTS SEEKING OUTPATIENT TREATMENT.
BEGINNING JUNE 1, ADDITIONAL DOCTORS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO MAN OUTPATIENT CLINICS DURING EVENING HOURS AND ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS,
AT PRESENT, 10 OUTPATIENT CLINICS ARE OPERATING EVENING SESSIONS FROM 6 P.M. TO 10 P.M. AND SIX CLINICS ARE OPEN ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS BETWEEN 9 A.M. AND 1 P.M.
THE NUMBER OF DOCTORS AT THESE CLINICS WILL BE INCREASED BY 50 PER CENT OR DOUBLED SO THAT MORE PATIENTS CAN BE SEEN AND TREATED.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID ADDITIONAL DOCTORS WILL BE POSTED TO THE EVENING CLINICS AT ABERDEEN, VIOLET PEEL, SHAUKIWAN ON HONG KONG ISLAND, KWUN TONG, ROBERT BLACK, YAU MA TEI AND LI PO CHUN IN KOWLOON AND LADY TRENCH IN TSÜEN WAN,
ALL THE SIX OUTPATIENT CLINICS OPERATING ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS VIOLET PEEL, SHAUK IWAN, KWUN TONG, ROBERT BLACK, YAU MA TEI AND LADY TRENCH -WILL HAVE MORE DOCTORS ATTENDING TO PATIENTS.
IN 1976, THE NUMBER OF ATTENDANCES AT OUTPATIENT CLINICS TOTALLED MORE THAN 12 MILLION WHILE THE CASUALTY DEPARTMENTS OF GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNMENT-ASSISTED HOSPITALS DEALT WITH SOME 600,000 CASES.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID WITH THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ATTENDING DOCTORS AT THESE CLINICS IT WAS HOPED THAT THE PRESSURE ON CASUALTY DEPARTMENTS AT THE VARIOUS MAJOR GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNMENT-ASSISTED HOSPITALS WOULD BE RELIEVED TO SOME EXTENT.
HE AGAIN URGED RESIDENTS NOT TO CONFUSE CASUALTY SERVICE, WHICH IS FOR TREATING EMERGENCY CASES, WITH GENERAL OUTPATIENT SERVICE PROVIDED BY GOVERNMENT CLINICS,
HE SAID QUITE A LARGE PROPORTION OF THE CASES SEEN AT CASUALTY DEPARTMENTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN SEEN AT THE OUTPATIENT CLINICS, WHICH ARE SET UP IN ALMOST EVERY DISTRICT THROUGHOUT HONG KONG.
+NON-EMERGENCY CASES TURNING UP AT THE CASUALTY DEPARTMENT. WOULD DELAY TREATMENT FOR THOSE WHO NEED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION,+ HE STRESSED.
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