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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1982
THE PROBLEM OF SQUATTERS
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ALTHOUGH NEARLY 1.3 MILLION SQUATTERS HAVE BEEN REHOUSED SINCE THE 1950'S, LATEST ESTIMATES STILL PUT THE SQUATTER POPULATION AT OVER HALF A MILLION, THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
+MANY WILL BE REHOUSED THROUGH DEVELOPMENT CLEARANCES OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS- BUT MOST LARGE SQUATTER CONCENTRATIONS ARE LIKELY TO REMAIN FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND SOMETHING MUST BE DONE TO IMPROVE LIVING CONDITIONS IN THEM,+ SİR EDWARD SAID AT THE OPENING SESSION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
HE SAID THAT AS A FIRST STEP, A PROGRAMME HAS BEEN STARTED TO REDUCE THE DANGER FROM FIRE AND LANDSLIP BY IMPROVING ACCESS AND WATER SUPPLY FOR FIRE FIGHTING, CREATING FIRE BREAKS AND UNDERTAK ING ESSENTIAL SLOPE STABILITY WORKS.
HE ALSO SAID WORK IS ALREADY WELL ADVANCED IN A NUMBER OF DENSELY POPULATED AREAS AND THE PROGRAMME WILL BE PROGRESSIVELY EXTENDED TO OTHER VULNERABLE AREAS. THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO PROVIDE BASIC SERVICES SUCH AS WATER, ELECTRICITY AND DRAINAGE IN AREAS NOT DUE FOR CLEARANCE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
SIR EDWARD ADDED: +WE MUST, AT THE SAME TIME, ENDEAVOUR TO CONTA IN THE PROBLEM BY PREVENTING THE PROLIFERATION OF NEW SQUATTING. TO THIS END, THE HIGHER DEGREE OF CONTROL NOW BEING EXERCISED, TOGETHER WITH THE RECENTLY ENACTED LEGISLATION WHICH PROVIDES HEAVIER PENALTIES FOR RACKETEERING SHOULD HELP TO DETER NEW HUT BUILDING.+
MAJOR EXPANSION FOR HOSPITAL FACILITIES
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OVER THE NEXT 18 MONTHS, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF HOSPITAL BEDS WILL BE INCREASED BY 2 110, OR 10 PER CENT OVERALL, 1 840 OF WHICH WILL BE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, SAID AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEETING TODAY.
LOOK ING FURTHER AHEAD, SIR EDWARD SAID THAT HONG KONG SHOULD HAVE SOME 29 200 HOSPITAL BEDS BY 1987, MOST OF WHICH WOULD AGAIN BE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES OR THE NEW DEVELOPMENT AREA OF EAST KOWLOON.
TO RELJEVE FURTHER THE PRESSURE ON ACUTE HOSPITAL BEDS, IT WAS PROPOSED THAT ABOUT 1 400 ADDITIONAL INFIRMARY BEDS BE PROVIDED BY THE END OF THE DECADE, SIR EDWARD SAID.
*CONTINUED PRESSURE IS BEING PUT ON OUR MEDICAL FACILITIES AS
A RESULT OF INCREASED POPULATION AND RISING EXPECTATIONS.
+THAT HONG KONG HAS BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN AN IMPRESSIVE HEALTH RECORD IS A REFLECTION OF THE EFFORT AND DEDICATION OF ALL CONCERNED, HE SAID.
SIR EDWARD ALSO REFERRED TO HONG KONG'S IMPROVED SANITATION, IMMUNISATION PROGRAMMES, EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE AND PRIMARY HEALTH CARE, ALL CF WHICH HAD MADE IT POSSIBLE TO CONTAIN MAJOR COMMUNICABLE DISEASES.
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