XN000022-1976-05-23 — Page 1

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香港政府

GIS 新聞處

DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN

SUNDAY, MAY 23, 1976

IMPROVEMENT OF WELFARE SERVICES FOR MENTALLY RETARDED

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THE WELFARE AND REHABILITATION OF MENTALLY RETARDED PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WILL BE FURTHER IMPROVED WHEN PROPOSALS IN THIS DIRECTION ARE APPROVED.

ACCORDING TO THE HEAD OF THE REHABILITATION DIVISION OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT, MR. KHOO TAI-PIN, MANY PROJECTS ARE ALREADY IN THE PIPELINE.

+AND PROPOSALS CONTAINED IN THE REHABILITATION PROGRAMME PLAN WILL, WHEN APPROVED, EFFECT STILL BETTER CO-ORDINATED DEVELOPMENT AND ENSHRINE IN POLICY FOR ALLOCATING FUNDS FOR SERVICES WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE REQUIRE A PROJECT BY PROJECT JUSTIFICATION AS HITHERTO, HE SAID.

REHABILITATION WORK FOR THE MENTALLY RETARDED IN HONG KONG BEGAN AS EARLY AS 1955 WHEN THE THEN SOCIAL WELFARE OFFICE FIRST SET UP A SMALL TRAINING CENTRE FOR 43 IN THE NORTH POINT RELIEF CAMP.

BY NOW, THE DEPARTMENT IS PROVIDING A GREAT VARIETY OF SERVICES FOR THE MENTALLY RETARDED IN FOUR TRAINING CENTRES FOUR PRE-VOCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRES, TWO SHELTERED WORKSHOPS AND FOUR RESIDENTIAL CENTRES TOTALLING 864 PLACES.

BESIDES PLACEMENT IN TRAINING OR VOCATIONAL CENTRES DISABILITY ALLOWANCE IS GIVEN TO ANY MENTAL RETARDATE WHOSE DISABILITY IS CERTIFIED TO BE SUCH THAT CONSTANT CARE AND SUPERVISION IS REQUIRED.

MR. KHOO POINTED OUT THAT ANOTHER IMPORTANT FUNCTION OF THE SWD WAS TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND COUNSEL TO PARENTS ON HOW TO HANDLE THEIR RETARDED CHILDREN AND TO ASSIST IN THEIR TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT.

VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS, HE STRESSED, ALSO PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THIS FIELD.

ALTOGETHER, 880 PLACES ARE BEING PROVIDED BY VOLUNTARY BODIES IN 19 CENTRES FOR THE TRAINING AND CARE OF THE MENTALLY RETARDED.

TO MEET THE DEMAND OF MANY MORE YET TO BE SERVED, HE SAID FACILITIES WOULD HAVE TO BE EXPANDED

Issued by Government Information Services, Beaconsfield House, Hong Kong. Tết: 5-233191

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