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FRIDAY, MAY 12, 1978
ACHIEVEMENTS OF AUXILIARY EDICAL SERVICE
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THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, MR. R.L. THONG, TODAY OUTLINED ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE AUXILIARY MEDICAL SERVICE IN RENDERING A WIDE RANGE OF SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY BCTH IN TIKES OF PEACE AND EMERGENCY.
HE SAID THAT WHENEVER A MAJOR DISASTER STRUCK HONG KONG, AMS MEMBERS WERE ALWAYS AMONG THE FIRST TO ARRIVE AT THE SCENE, MANNING CASUALTY STATIONS AND ASSISTING IN RESCUE OPERATIONS.
AND WHEN EPIDEMICS OCCURRED, SUCH AS THE REPEATED CHOLERA OUT- EREAKS IN THE 1950S, AMS MEMBERS WOULD RENDER ESSENTIAL SERVICES AT QUARANTINE CENTRES AND INOCULATION POSTS, HE ADDED.
DR. THONE, WHO IS ALSO UNIT CONTROLLER OF THE AUXILIARY MEDICAL SERVICE MAS SPEAKING AT THE SERVICE'S THIRD OFFICERS' MESS DINNER THIS EVENING, WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY ACLEHOSE, AND SENIOR OFFICERS OF OTHER DISCIPLINED FORCES.
HE SAID APART FROM RENDERING EMERGENCY SERVICES, AMS MEMBERS ARE DEPLOYED AT AMBULANCE DEPOTS AND STATIONS ON A REGULAR BASIS CH WEEKENDS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS.
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THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER MONTHS, HE SAID, THEY HAVE ALWAYS PLAYED A VITAL PART IN AUGMENTING THE LIFE GUARD SERVICES OF THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT SINCE THE SERVICE WAS FORMED IN 1941, IT HAS GCHE FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH WITH THE MEMBERSHIP RISING FROM A MERE HUNDRED-ODD TO OVER 6,000 TODAY, THE MAJORITY OF WHOM ARE IN THE YOUNG AND DYNAMIC AGE GROUP OF 17 TO 25.
DR. THONG DESCRIBED THE AMS AS A +FINE+ BODY OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHOSE ENTHUSIASM AND DEVOTION TO THE COMMUNITY COULD BE REGARDED AS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE TO ALL YOUNG PEOPLE IT HONG KONG,
HE URGED THE AMS MEMBERS NOT TO BE COMPLACENT ABOUT THEIR ACHIEVEMENT BUT TO STRIVE CONSTANTLY TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND TO EXPAND THE AREAS OF THE SERVICE.
IN THIS CONNECTION, DR. THONG SAID PLANS WERE IN HAND TO ESTABLISH AMS SUB-UNITS IN ALL URBAN DISTRICTS AND EVENTUALLY TO ALL DISTRICTS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND ON CFF-SHORE ISLANDS WHEREVER SUCH TEAU'S ARE USEFUL AND NECESSARY.
AT THE MOMENT, HE SAID, THE SERVICE WAS PLANNING TO ESTABLISH A TRAINING CENTRE WHICH +ILL GREATLY FACILITATE TRAINING PROGRAMMES AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF SERVICE,+
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