THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 1980
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BETTER CARE OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
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ALTHOUGH HONG KONG CAN BE JUSTIFIABLY PROUD OF WHAT IT HAS DONE FOR THE 70 000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WHO ARRIVED LAST YEAR, THE LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE 1979 INFLUX INDICATE THAT SOME
IMPROVEMENTS IN FACILITIES SHOULD DBE MADE FOR THOSE -REMAINING HERE AWAITING RESETTLEMENT IN OTHER COUNTRIES.
THIS WAS THE MAIN CONCLUSION REACHED FOLLOWING A COMPREHENSIVE IN-HOUSE REVIEW OF THE ARRANGEMENTS MADE BY THE GOVERNMENT FOR THE CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
THE REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED BY A GROUP COMPRISING MR IAN LIGHTBODY, CHAIRMAN OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION= PROFESSOR MICHAEL COLBOURNE, HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE AT HONG KONG UNIVERSITY AND MR BRIAN CLANCY, DEPUTY CROWN SOLICITOR.
THE GROUP HAS CONFIRMED THAT THE ARRANGEMENTS MADE IN 1979 TO ACCOMMODATE AND LOOK AFTER THE REFUGEES WERE APPROPRIATE AND ADEQUATE CONSIDERING ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES+ AND THAT, ALTHOUGH THE FACILITIES PROVIDED WERE NECESSARILY BASIC, THEY MET THE ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS OF HEALTH AND SAFETY.
IN PARTICULAR, THE GROUP CONSIDERED THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDED TO THE REFUGEES TO BE +REASONABLE AND THE BEST THAT COULD BE OFFERED WITHOUT REDUCING SERVICES TO HONG KONG'S OWN CITIZENS TO AN UNACCEPTABLE DEGREE+. DESPITE THE REFUGEES' PREVIOUS EXPOSURE TO A HARD LIFE AND THE CROWDED LIVING CONDITIONS IN CAMPS, THE CRUDE DEATH RATE AMONG THEM, AT 7.3 PER THOUSAND FOR 1979, WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE RATE OF 5.2 PER THOUSAND FOR THE HONG KONG POPULATION ITSELF.
THE GROUP ENDORSED THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY THAT THE REFUGEES SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN BETTER FACILITIES THAN THOSE PROVIDED TO THE HONG KONG POPULATION, BUT THAT THEY SHOULD NEVERTHELESS BE TREATED HUMANELY.
THE GROUP RECOGNISED, HOWEVER, THAT THE ARRANGEMENTS MADE IN 1979 WERE ESSENTIALLY AN EMERGENCY RELIEF OPERATION, NOW THAT THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES REMAINING IN HONG KONG, ALBEIT STILL HIGH, HAS BEEN REDUCED TO MORE MANAGEABLE PROPORTIONS, SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN FACILITIES ARE DESIRABLE IN THE LIGHT OF EXPÉRIENCE GAINED LAST YEAR.
THE GROUP HAS PUT FORWARD A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS DIRECTION.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS IS THAT SPECIAL MEDICAL AND HEALTH CARE SHOULD BE GIVEN TO REFUGEE CHILDREN UNDER SEVEN YEARS OF AGE, WHO ARE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO DISEASE.
THIS IS TO BE ACHIEVED THROUGH DETAILED MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS OF YOUNG CHILDREN VERY SOON AFTER ARRIVAL AND THROUGH A SYSTEMATIC IMMUNISATION PROGRAMME.
/OUTPATIENT CLINIC .............