+
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1985
37
WORK STARTS ON GENERAL HOSPITAL
***
WAN CHAI WILL SOON HAVE ITS OWN HOSPITAL WHEN REDEVELOPMENT WORKS TO TURN THE RUTTONJEE SANATORIUM FROM AN ANTI-TUBERCULOSIS
INSTITUTION INTO A GENERAL HOSPITAL ARE COMPLETED IN A FEW YEARS.
GOVERNMENT HAS APPROVED FUNDS FOR THE EXTENSIVE REDEVELOPMENT
PROJECT.
THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR K.L. THONG, WAS AMONG THE GUESTS INVITED TO THE EARTHBREAK ING CEREMONY TODAY TO MARK THE START OF REDEVELOPMENT WORKS.
DR THONG SAID THE CEREMONY MARKED AN ADVANCED STAGE OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HOSPITAL, WHICH WOULD SERVE EFFICIENTLY AND WELL ALL THOSE WHO NEED ITS SERVICES, +
THE TOTAL CAPITAL COST OF THE PROJECT WOULD BE $158 MILLION, WITH THE GOVERNMENT ALLOCATING $127 MILLION AND REMAINING $31 MILLION TO BE RAISED BY THE HONG KONG TUBERCULOSIS, CHEST AND HEART DISEASES ASSOCIATION WHICH RUNS THE SANATORIUM.
THE 280-BED RUTTONJEE SANATORIUM WOULD BE UPGRADED INTO A 456-BED HOSPITAL WITH PROVISION FOR ANOTHER 168 BEDS, MAKING A TOTAL OF 624.
HIGH COST OF KEEPING HK CLEAN
***
KEEPING HONG KONG CLEAN IS THE COSTLIEST SINGLE AREA OF ACTIVITY OF THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT. GROUPED BROADLY UNDER THE HEADING OF EXPENDITURE ON ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE. THE ENDLESS CLEANING UP OF HONG KONG TAKES UP ROUGHLY ABOUT 23 PER CENT OF THE DEPARTMENT'S YEARLY OUTGOINGS, WHICH ARE FUNDED THROUGH THE URBAN COUNCIL.
NEXT IN ORDER OF EXPENDITURE COME THREE OTHER HIGHLY IMPORTANT FIELDS OF ACTIVITY -- PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL URBAN FACILITIES UNDER THE CAPITAL WORKS PROGRAMME (ABOUT 18 PER CENT), UPKEEP OF MARKETS AND CONTROL OF STREET TRADERS (ABOUT 15.6 PER CENT) AND THE CONTINUATION OF THE URBAN COUNCIL'S WIDESPREAD RECREATION PROGRAMME (ABOUT 12 PER CENT).
+THESE FOUR IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITIES TAKE UP APPROXIMATELY 70 PER CENT OF THE DEPARTMENT'S OUTGOINGS, + SAID A USD SPOKESMAN TODAY.
/THE SPOKESMAN