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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1979
DENTAL CARE PROGRAMME FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN
STARTS NOVEMBER
***
A DENTAL CARE PROGRAMME FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN WOULD BE INTRODUCED AS FROM NEXT MONTH (NOVEMBER), THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
HE SAID THIS FOLLOWED THE OPENING OF THE MACLEHOSE DENTAL CENTRE AND THE DENTAL THERAPISTS TRAINING SCHOOL.
ON THE DENTAL TEACHING HOSPITAL DUE TO BE COMPLETED THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, SIR MURRAY SAID THE FIRST BATCH OF 60 LOCALLY TRAINED DENTISTS WAS EXPECTED TO GRADUATE IN 1985.
THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT TO USE RESOURCES BETTER, THE MEDICAL SERVICES HAD BEEN REGIONALISED SINCE APRIL 1977.
+THERE ARE AT PRESENT FOUR HOSPITAL REGIONS EACH OF WHICH IS SERVED BY A REGIONAL HOSPITAL, ONE OR MORE DISTRICT HOSPITALS AND A NUMBER OF GENERAL AND SPECIALIST CLINICS,+ HE SAID.
SIR MURRAY SAID THAT SINCE THE REGIONALISATION SCHEME WAS IMPLEMENTED, BEDS IN SUBVENTED HOSPITALS HAD BEEN MORE FULLY USED AND THAT PRESSURE ON THE REGIONAL HOSPITALS HAD EASED.
HE SAID THAT THE PLAN FOR DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES WAS PROCEEDING WELL AND THAT PROJECTS COMPLETED DURING THE LAST 12 MONTHS INCLUDED PHASE I OF THE EXPANSION PROGRAMME OF THE YAN CHAI HOSPITAL AND THE EXTENSION OF THE CARITAS MEDICAL CENTRE.
THE FORMER WILL PROVIDE 50 GENERAL BEDS AND THE LATTER 576 BEDS FOR THE ELDERLY AND THE MENTALLY RETARDED.
THE GOVERNOR SAID THE COMPLETION OF THE PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL PSYCHIATRIC WING NEXT YEAR WOULD PROVIDE ANOTHER 1 300 BEDS FOR THE MENTALLY ILL AND WOULD REDUCE THE PRESENT OVERCROWDING AT THE CASTLE PEAK HOSPITAL.
ON OTHER PROJECTS, SIR MURRAY SAID THAT:
* THE NEW WING OF THE KWONG WAH HOSPITAL SHOULD BE COMPLETED IN 1980 TO AUGMENT THE FACILITIES OF THE HOSPITAL AS THE REGIONAL HOSPITAL FOR WEST KOWLOON-
* CONSTRUCTION OF THE SUPERSTRUCTURE OF THE 1 400-BED
SHA TIN HOSPITAL IS ABOUT TO START AND WILL BE COMPLETED BY 1982, AND
* PLANNING IS ALSO IN HAND FOR A MAJOR HOSPITAL IN TUEN MUN,
SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION IN MID-1985 BUT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THIS MAY BE SOMEWHAT RE-PHASED.
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