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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1992
ILL.
"WE MUST PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE TREATMENT FOR THOSE WHO FALL BUT IT IS MUCH BETTER TO HELP THEM AVOID FALLING ILL IN THE FIRST PLACE, IF MR PATTEN SAID.
SUCH
HE SAID BETWEEN NOW AND 1997 THE GOVERNMENT WILL:
IN
ESTABLISH SEVEN HEALTH CENTRES FOR THE ELDERLY ΤΟ PROVIDE SCREENING AND OTHER PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SERVICES FOR 700, 000 PEOPLE AGED 65 AND ABOVE;
ESTABLISH THREE "WELL-WOMAN" CLINICS то PROVIDE PRIMARY HEALTH CARE, INCLUDING GYNAECOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS AND SCREENING, ΤΟ WOMEN, ESPECIALLY SOME 320,000 AGED 45 AND ABOVE.
MAKING A PLEDGE ON TREATING MENTAL ILLNESS, MR PATTEN SAID PATIENTS WERK, THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, TOO OFTEN NEGLECTED OR
ABANDONED.
HE SAID: "MENTAL ILLNESS IS A MARKED FEATURE OF URBAN LIFE IN THIS CENTURY. IN HONG KONG WE MUST TRY TO DO BETTER FOR THIS VULNERABLE GROUP OF OUR FELLOW CITIZENS.
"THE DOCTORS AND NURSES WHO HAVE MADE IT THEIR VOCATION то SERVE THE MENTALLY ILL, TOGETHER WITH THE PATIENTS THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES, MUST BE GIVEN THE FACILITIES THEY NEED FOR THE EFFECTIVE AND HUMANE TREATMENT OF PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS.
HE SAID BETWEEN NOW AND 1997:
..
PEAK
WE WILL ATTACK THE INTOLERABLE OVERCROWDING AT CASTLE HOSPITAL. WITH THE GENEROUS HELP OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB, 800 NEW BEDS WILL BE PROVIDED;
ALMOST 900 ADDITIONAL BEDS WILL BE PROVIDED FOR PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS IN OTHER HOSPITALS;
DEMAND FOR PLACES IN HALF-WAY HOUSES AND LONG-STAY CARE HOMES WILL BE MET IN FULL;
PROFESSIONAL TEAMS WILL BE SET UP TO TREAT THE MENTALLY ILL IN THE COMMUNITY. THEY WILL ENABLE US TO HALVE THE CURRENT WAITING TIME FOR PSYCHIATRIC REHABILITATION. THE FIRST TEAM WILL BE SET UP NEXT YEAR, AND WILL SPECIALISE IN CARING FOR ELDERLY MENTAL PATIENTS IN THE COMMUNITY.
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