XN000022-1976-09-09 — Page 1

PRH 7

香港政府

GIS 新聞處

DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1976.

KOWLOON RESIDENTS URGED NOT TO OVERLOAD Q.E.H.

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THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT TODAY ADVISED THAT RESIDENTS IN NORTHWEST KOWLOON NEEDING EMERGENCY TREATMENT SHOULD PRESENT THEMSELVES AT THE CASUALTY DEPARTMENT OF PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL INSTEAD OF THE EXTREMELY BUSY QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT POINTED OUT THAT THE OPERATING HOURS OF THE CASUALTY DEPARTMENT OF PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL HAD RECENTLY BEEN EXTENDED FROM 8 HOURS TO 16 HOURS A DAY TO RELIEVE PRESSURE AT THE QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL.

RESIDENTS, PARTICULARLY THOSE LIVING IN LAI CHI KOK SHAM SHUI PO, CHEUNG SHA WAN AND KWAI CHUNG AREAS, SHOULD MAKE FULL USE OF THE EXTENDED SERVICE AT PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL AND NOT FURTHER OVERLOAD QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL, HE SAID.

HE REMINDED THE PUBLIC THAT THE CASUALTY DEPARTMENT AT PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL IS OPERATING DAILY FROM 8 A.M. TO 11.30 PM., AND IS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE 24-HOUR SERVICE EARLY NEXT YEAR.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID IN THE FIRST TWO DAYS SINCE THE CASUALTY SERVICE AT PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL WAS EXTENDED ON SEPTEMBER 6, THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 227 ATTENDANCES WHEREAS AT QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL THE TOTAL ATTENDANCES DURING THE SAME PERIOD WERE ABOUT 1,300.

+OVERLOAD ING THE QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL WOULD DO BOTH THE PATIENT AND THE HOSPITAL NO GOOD, + HE SAID.

THE SPOKESMAN ALSO URGED THE PUBLIC NOT TO CONFUSE CAUSALTY SERVICE, WHICH IS FOR TREATING EMERGENCY CASES, WITH THE GENERAL OUTPATIENT SERVICE PROVIDED BY GOVERNMENT CLINICS.

HE SAID QUITE A LARGE PROPORTION OF THE CASES SEEN AT CASUALTY DEPARTMENTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN SEEN AT THE OUTPATIENT CLINICS, WHICH ARE SET UP IN ALMOST EVERY DISTRICT THROUGHOUT HONG KONG.

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+NON-EMERGENCY CASES TURNING UP AT THE CASUALTY DEPARTMENT WOULD DELAY TREATMENT FOR THOSE WHO NEED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION, HE ADDED.

LAST YEAR A TOTAL OF 564,081 CASES WERE DEALT WITH AT THE CASUALTY DEPARTMENTS OF GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNMENT-ASSISTED HOSPITALS. OF THESE. 40 PER CENT WENT THROUGH THE QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL ALONE.

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

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