XN000022-1975-04-19 — Page 3

SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 1975

DURING THE COURSE OF EVENTS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS NO OBJECTIONS HAVE EVER BEEN RAISED BY ANY ORGANISED GROUP TO THE IMPENDING TRANSFER, HOT UNTIL THE ACTUAL TRANSFER HAD BEEN COMPLETED EARLIER THIS YEAR.

AT YESTERDAY'S MEETING, THE OFFICIALS FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT ACTING ON THE PRINCIPLE OF INTEGRATION RATHER THAN SEGREGATION THE LEPROSY PATIENTS HAD DEEN TRANSFERRED TO THE LAI CHI KOK HOSPITAL AS NO OTHER HOSPITAL WAS AVAILABLE TO ACCOMMODATE AND TREAT SUCH PATIENTS.

LAI CHI KOK HOSPITAL, THEY SAID, HAD BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR MANY YEARS AND WAS GEARED TO TREATING ALL TYPES OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES.

THE REPRESENTATIVES OF MEI FOO SUN CHUEN EXPRESSED GREAT CONCERN OVER THE MOVEMENT OF LEPROSY PATIENTS AT LAI CHI KOK HOSPITAL, WHICH HAD GIVEN RISE TO WIDESPREAD FEARS THAT THE RESIDENTS MIGHT DE INFECTED.

THEY WERE TOLD BY THE MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENT OF THE LAI CHI KOK HOSPITAL THAT THIS AROSE FROM MISUNDERSTANDING.

THE MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENT SAID THERE WERE 47 PATIENTS AT THE LEPROSY WARD, AND THE MAJORITY OF THESE WERE NON-INFECTIOUS.

+THEY ARE KEPT IN THE WARD BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO HOMES TO GO TO OR BECAUSE THEY REQUIRE ATTENTION FOR RESIDUAL DEFORMITIES. THEY ARE NOT PATIENTS IN THE TRUE SENSE OF THE WORD,+ HE SAID.

THE MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENT GAVE THE ASSURANCE THAT IF THERE WAS THE SLIGHTEST POSSIBILITY THAT A PATIENT WAS NOT YET RENDERED NON-INFECTIOUS, HE WOULD NOT DE PERMITTED TO GO OUT OF THE HOSPITAL BOUNDS, NOT EVEN OUT OF THE LEPROSY WARD.

HE ADDED THAT AMONG THE STAFF OF THE HOSPITAL THERE WERE NINE WARD AIDES WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY SUFFERED FROM LEPROSY BUT HAD BEEN CURED FOR MANY YEARS.

+BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT PATIENTS BUT ARE ORDINARY PEOPLE, THEIR MOVEMENT CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT BE RESTRICTED. WE WOULD, OF COURSE ADVISE THEM TO AVOID GOING TO MEI FOO SUN CHUEN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BUT SURELY, THIS BEING A FREE SOCIETY, ONE CANNOT FORCE OTHERS TO DO THINGS ÁGAINST THEIR OWN WILL.+

DESPITE THE ASSURANCES, THE MEI FOO SUN CHUEN REPRESENTATIVES INSISTED THAT THE LEPROSY PATIENTS SHOULD BE ISOLATED BECAUSE THEY POSED A PSYCHOLOGICAL, IF NOT HEALTH, THREAT TO THE 50,000 RESIDENTS IN THE ESTATE.

THEY SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THEY HAD NO REASON TO DOUBT MEDICAL OPINION ON LEPROSY AS A DISEASE, THEY SHOULD NOT BE MADE TO SUFFER FROM THE +MENTAL AGONY+ FOR THE SAKE OF 47 LEPROSY PATIENTS.

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