XN000022-1977-05-09 — Page 2

MONDAY, MAY 9, 1977

SITE FORMATION FOR SHA TIN HOSPITAL TO BEGIN SHORTLY

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THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WILL BEGIN SITE FORMATION AT SHA TIN ON JUNE 1 FOR A MAJOR REGIONAL TEACHING HOSPITAL AND POLYCLINIC TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF THE NEW TOWN AND THE EASTERN NEW TERRITORIES.

THE SITE FORMATION CONTRACT, WORTH $16.3 MILLION, WAS FORMALLY SIGNED IN THE PWD'S SHA TIN NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT OFFICE TODAY WITH THE SUCCESSFUL CONTRACTOR, GAMMON (HONG KONG) LTD.

THE CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT OFFICE, MR. GEORGE CHIEN, SAID TODAY THAT WORK WOULD BEGIN NEXT MONTH AND SHOULD BE COMPLETED IN MID-1979.

+THE WORK WILL INVOLVE RECLAIMING SOME 24.5 HECTARES ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF TIDE COVE FOR THE MODERN MEDICAL CENTRE,+ HE SAID.

MR. CHIEN ADDED THAT OVER A MILLION CUBIC METRES OF FILL MATERIALS WOULD BE NEEDED FOR THE RECLAMATION PROGRAMME.

THE TARGET DATE FOR THE COMMISSIONING OF THE 1,200 BED HOSPITAL IS 1982.

MR. CHIEN SAID THAT THE NEW HOSPITAL WOULD PROVIDE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES AND ALL THE APPROPRIATE GENERAL AND SPECIALIST FACILITIES FOR THE PEOPLE OF SHA TIN NEW TOWN AND THE EASTERN NEW TERRITORIES.

IT WAS ALSO PLANNED THAT THE HOSPITAL PROVIDE CLINICAL TEACHING FACILITIES FOR THE STUDENTS OF THE PROPOSED MEDICAL SCHOOL AT THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG.

+AS PROPOSED IN THE MEDICAL WHITE PAPER,+ MR. CHIEN SAID, +THE HOSPITAL WILL HAVE ABOUT 750 ACUTE GENERAL BEDS, 250 FOR PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS, 100 FOR THE TREATMENT OF GERIATRICS AND 100 MATERNITY BEDS.+

IN ADDITION TO THE FULL RANGE OF GENERAL CLINIC TREATMENT, THE NEW POLYCLINIC WILL OFFER OUT-PATIENT SPECIALIST SERVICES AND TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS BEFORE AND AFTER ANY HOSPITALIZATION.