TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1988
6
HE SAID THE LATEST 20-YEAR POPULATION PROJECTION
SHOWED THAT
FROM 1986 TO 2006, THE ELDERLY POPULATION WOULD NEARLY DOUBLE LIFE EXPECTANCY WAS ALSO FORECAST TO INCREASE, FROM AGE 74 ΤΟ 77 FOR MALES AND AGE 80 TO AGE 83 FOR FEMALES.
BRING WITH
COPE
IT
AND
AGE
OLD AGE WOULD NATURALLY
INFIRMITY AND DETERIORATION IN HEALTH AND THE COMMUNITY HAD TO BE PREPARED ΤΟ PROVIDE ADEQUATE MEDICAL FACILITIES TO
WITH THIS PROBLEM, HE
ADDED.
MR CHAU SAID INFIRMARIES WERE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
"THEY PROVIDE THERAPEUTIC AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES IN A LONG-TERM-CARE INSTITUTIONAL SETTING FOR THE CHRONICALLY ILL AND THE ELDERLY, WHO NO LONGER REQUIRE ACUTE TREATMENT BUT NEED LONGER-TERM HOSPITALISATION," HE SAID.
"ON THE OTHER
HAND, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF INFIRMARIES ALSO SERVES TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF OVER-CROWDING IN MAJOR ACUTE HOSPITALS, BECAUSE THE CHRONICALLY ILL AND THE ELDERLY WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE TO BE ACCOMMODATED IN ACUTE HOSPITAL BEDS."
ON COMPLETION IN 1990, THE SHA TIN INFIRMARY AND CONVALESCENT HOSPITAL WILL PROVIDE 526 INFIRMARY BEDS AND 174 CONVALESCENT BEDS.
"THIS MIXTURE OF INFIRMARY AND CONVALESCENT BEDS WILL PROVIDE A GREATER DEGREE OF PATIENT FLOW AND A BETTER ENVIRONMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PATIENTS, MR CHAU SAID.
"
THE HOSPITAL WILL ALSO HAVE OTHER FACILITIES, SUCH AS DEPARTMENTS FOR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, PHYSIOTHERAPY, AND A PHARMACY AND A CENTRAL STERILE SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS STAFF QUARTERS.
GOVERNMENT HELPS INDUSTRIES IN ADAPTING TO CHANGE
HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES ARE EXTREMELY ADEPT AT RESPONDING TO CHANGES IN DEMAND FOR THEIR OUTPUT AND THIS IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT DETERMINANT OF THEIR SUCCESS, THE DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY, MR K.Y. YEUNG, SAID TODAY TUESDAY).
ADDRESSING THE US-HK TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS CONFERENCE ORGANISED BY THE ASIAN AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION AND THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT, MR YEUNG CITED A NUMBER OF ENCOURAGING INDICATORS THAT PROVED THERE WAS CONFIDENCE IN LOCAL MANUFACTURING.
/HOWEVER,
THERE