XN000022-1972-05-22 — Page 1

P.R.H. 7 (REVISED)

4000091

TIME MINI GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES

DAILY

INFORMATION BULLETIN

Monday, May 22, 1972

HOSPITAL FOR MENTALLY-RETARDED PATIENTS

Sir Kenneth To Open Siu Lam Hospital In Late June

The Hon. Sir Kenneth Ping-fan Fung, Executive Councillor, will open the new Siu Lam Hospital for mentally-defective patients near Tai Lam Chung in the Castle Peak district of the New Territories at a ceremony on June 28.

The hospital is a manifestation of the Government's growing concern for the treatment and care of mentally-retarded children. Its extended

capacity will enable more such children to be placed under hospital care, according to the recommendations of the Hilliard Report.

The report stated that mentally-retarded children should be classified and treated under three categories:- Those capable of receiving instructions to be looked after by the Education Department in special schools; those incapable of benefiting from special schools but still able to accept some form of training to be looked after by the Social Welfare Department; the most severely retarded to be the responsibility of the Medical and Health

Department.

and

The admission of patients will begin early in July. It will be on

a phased basis to enable both the staff and the patients to settle down in

The hospital is expected to be fully occupied before

this new environment.

the end of the year.

/Siu Lam