MONDAY, MARCH 10, 1986
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MEDICAL STAFF AWARDED LONG SERVICE CERTIFICATES
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A TOTAL OF 383 MEMBERS OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING DOCTORS, NURSES, PARA-MEDICAL STAFF, WORKMEN, DRIVERS, SARD ATTENDANTS, AMAHS AND DARKROOM TECHNICIANS, WERE PRESENTED WITH LONG SERVICE MERIT CERTIFICATES TODAY (MONDAY).
THE LONG SERVICE LAUNCHED FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR, MERIT CERTIFICATE SCHEME WILL BE OPERATED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS BY THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE BEGINNING OF EACH YEAR.
THE DEPARTMENT HAS A STAFF OF 25 000 SERVING IN 85 DIFFERENT GRADES. THOSE WHO HAVE WORKED FOR 30 YEARS OR MORE AND HAVE PERFORMED THEIR DUTIES SATISFACTORILY WITHIN AT LEAST THE PAST 10 YEARS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE AWARD.
TO MARK THE LAUNCHING OF THE SCHEME, A PRESENTATION CEREMONY WAS HELD AT THE KWAI CHUNG HOSPITAL ASSEMBLY HALL THIS AFTERNOON.
PRAISING THE RECIPIENTS, DR THONG, WHO MADE THE PRESENTATION, SAID THE DEPARTMENT NOW PROVIDED A COMPREHENSIVE AND INCREASINGLY SOPHISTICATED SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
THE PERFORMANCE OF THE DEPARTMENT COULD BE REFLECTED BY COMMONLY USED INDICATORS OF THE HEALTH OF A COMMUNITY.
HE SAID DURING THE PAST 30 YEARS, THE CRUDE DEATH RATE HAD DROPPED FROM 7.4 TO 4.7 PER THOUSAND POPULATION AND THE INFANT MORTALITY RATE HAD IMPROVED SUBSTANTIALLY FROM 60.9 TO 7.6 PER THOUSAND LIVE BIRTHS. AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY WAS NOW 73 FOR MALES AND 79 FOR FEMALES.
DR THONG SAID THAT COMPARED TO THE EARLY 1950'S, THERE WAS AN EIGHT-FOLD INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF HOSPITAL BEDS AND A TEN- FOLD INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS TREATED.
→IN A HIGHLY MATERIALISTIC SOCIETY AND AMID EVER RISING COSTS, WE TEND TO ALL WHO SEEK OUR HELP, EVEN TO THOSE WHO CANNOT AFFORD THE NOMINAL CHARGES LEVIED.
+ZIN SHORT, PEOPLE IN HONG KONG ARE NOW HEALTHIER AND ENJOY MEDICAL CARE OF A VERY HIGH STANDARD.
+THESE GRATIFYING RESULTS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE #ITHOUT THE PROFESSIONALISM AND DEDICATION OF INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT,+ DR THONG SAID.
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