XN000022-1976-07-05 — Page 3

MONDAY, JULY 5, 1976

AFTER-CARE AND COUNSELLING SERVICES FOR DRUG ADDICTS

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AFTER-CARE AND COUNSELLING SERVICES ARE BEING PROVIDED FOR DRUG ADDICTS ATTENDING THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S METHADONE DETOXIFICATION CENTRES.

ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE FOR SOCIAL WORKERS TO BE ATTACHED TO EIGHT OF THE 12 DETOXIFICATION CENTRES DURING WEEK-DAYS TO HELP ADDICTS SOLVE THEIR PERSONAL PROBLEMS.

THE SOCIAL WORKERS, ALL VOLUNTEERS, COME FROM THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND OTHER VOLUNTARY AGENCIES SUCH AS SARDA THE DISCHARGED PRISONERS AID SOCIETY, THE HONG KONG FAMILY WELFARE SOCIETY, CARITAS AND THE HONG KONG CHRISTIAN COUNCIL SERVICE.

THE EIGHT CENTRES WHERE AFTER-CARE AND COUNSELLING SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE ARE KWUN TONG, TSZ WAN SHAN, YAU MA TEI, SHAM SHUI PO, SHEK KIP MEI, KOWLOON CITY AND MONGKOK IN KOWLOON AND CHAI WAN ON THE ISLAND.

THE SERVICES WILL BE EXTENDED TO THE OTHER CENTRES WHEN MORE VOLUNTEERS ARE RECRUITED.

UP TO LAST NIGHT (SUNDAY), A TOTAL OF 1,232 DRUG ADDICTS, INCLUDING 76 FEMALES, HAVE RECEIVED TREATMENT AT THE 12 EVENING DETOXIFICATION CENTRES INCLUDING THE VIOLET PEEL CENTRE WHICH ALSO OPERATES DURING DAYTIME.

THE DAILY ATTENDANCE RATE HAS REMAINED VERY HIGH, AT ABOUT 80 PER CENT.

COMMENTING ON THE FIGURES, THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR. G.H. CHOA, DESCRIBED THE RESPONSE AT THE INITIAL STAGE OF THE DETOXIFICATION SCHEME AS +ENCOURAGING+.

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