FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1980
NEW TERRITORIES GETTING MAIN THRUST OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES UPGRADING,
SAYS GOVERNOR ****
THE MAIN THRUST OF COMPREHENSIVE PLANS TO UPGRADE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES IN HONG KONG IS DIRECTED AT THE NEW TERRITORIES, PARALLEL ING THE NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME.
THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, SAID THIS TODAY DURING A FOUNDATION STONE LAYING CEREMONY MARKING THE EXPANSION OF YAN CHAI HOSPITAL IN TSUEN WAN.
SIR MURRAY SAID COMPLETION OF THE 1 300 BED HOSPITAL AT SOUTH KWAI CHUNG IN SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR WAS AN IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT IN THE PROVISION OF FACILITIES FOR THE MENTALLY ILL.
NEXT MONTH THE EXTENSION OF FANLING HOSPITAL WOULD BE COMPLETED PROVIDING AN EXTRA 50 BEDS TO SERVE THAT AREA.
IN SHA TIN THE 1 400 BED PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL WAS ALREADY UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND WOULD BE COMPLETED IN 1982.
THIS WOULD SERVE AS BOTH A TEACHING HOSPITAL FOR OUR SECOND MEDICAL SCHOOL AT THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY AND AS A REGIONAL HOSPITAL FOR THE EASTERN NEW TERRITORIES.
YET ANOTHER MAJOR HOSPITAL WAS PLANNED FOR TUEN MUN WHERE IT WAS AIMED TO COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION IN 1985/86.
+ IN ADDITION WE ARE BUILDING UP THE NETWORK OF CLINICS AND POLYCLINICS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF THE RAPIDLY GROWING POPULATION, SIR MURRAY SAID.
THREE OF THESE, THE LEK YUEN HEALTH CENTRE, THE LEI MUK SHUE CLINIC AND THE YAN OJ POLYCLINIC (STAGE 1), WOULD OPEN OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.
A FURTHER SEVEN WERE PLANNED FOR COMPLETION BEFORE THE END OF THE DECADE.
THE PART PLAYED BY YAN CHAI HOSPITAL WAS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND THE PLANNED EXPANSION WOULD GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS RELIEVING THE PRESSURE ON HOSPITAL BEDS ELSEWHERE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
THE DIRECTORS HAD COMMITTED THEMSELVES TO RAISING SUBSTANTIAL SUMS OF MONEY WITH WHICH TO FUND THEIR AMBITIOUS PROGRAMME. +AND TODAY I AM HAPPY TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PLACE ON RECORD GOVERNMENT'S GRATITUDE TO THEM AND TO ALL WHO DONATED SO GENEROUSLY TO THIS VERY WORTHY CAUSE,+ SIR MURRAY SAID,
+IN PARTICULAR, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS THE COMMUNITY'S THANKS FOR THE VERY GENEROUS DONATION OF $2.5 MILLION WHICH THE BRADBURY CHARITY TRUST FUND HAVE CONTRIBUTED FOR THIS PROJECT.+
YAN CHAI IS THE ONLY SIZEABLE SUBVENTED HOSPITAL IN TSUEN WAN AND PLAYS AN IMMENSELY IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE REGIONAL HOSPITAL NETWORK.
/SIR MURRAY