XN000022-1977-06-13 — Page 3

MONDAY, JUNE 13, 1977

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TWO NEW HOSPITALS FOR NEW TERRITORIES

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TWO NEW HOSPITALS, TWO POLYCLINICS AND FOUR GENERAL CLINICS ARE TO BE BUILT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES IN THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS AS PART OF THE GOVERNMENT'S EXPANSION PLAN TO COPE WITH THE

INCREASING NEEDS OF THE RAPIDLY GROWING NEW TOWNS IN THIS REGION.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR. S.H. LEE, IN HIS ADDRESS TO THE ROTARY CLUB OF NEW TERRITORIES THIS EVENING.

THE NEW PROJECTS WOULD INCLUDE A 1,400-BED GENERAL HOSPITAL IN SHA TIN, A 1,200-BED HOSPITAL IN TUEN MUN, BOTH SUPPORTED BY A POLYCLINIC, AND ONE GENERAL CLINIC EACH IN SHA TIN, TSUEN WAN, KWAI CHUNG AND TSING YI.

IN ADDITION, SAID DR. LEE, PLANNING WAS IN HAND TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND THE FACILITIES AT FANLING HOSPITAL BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF A FIVE-STOREY BUILDING TO PROVIDE EXPANDED EMERGENCY AND MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH SERVICES AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL STAFF QUARTERS.

BETTER USE WOULD ALSO BE MADE OF THE FACILITIES AT POK OI HOSPITAL IN YUEN LONG, WHICH HAS BEEN GIVEN SUBVENTION ON A DEFICIENCY GRANT BASIS FOLLOWING THE INTRODUCTION ON APRIL 1 OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH REGIONAL ISATION SCHEME, HE SAID.

DR. LEE SAID THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REGIONALISATION SCHEME WOULD GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS IMPROVING THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES IN HONG KONG THROUGH A MORE EVEN USE OF HOSPITAL BEDS.

HE EXPLAINED THAT UNDER THE REGIONALISATION SCHEME HONG KONG IS DIVIDED INTO FOUR, LATER ON FIVE, REGIONS, EACH SERVED BY A REGIONAL HOSPITAL, ONE OR MORE DISTRICT HOSPITALS, ONE OR MORE POLYCLINICS AND A NUMBER OF GENERAL CLINICS.

HE SAID THE SYSTEM OF HAVING REGIONAL AND DISTRICT HOSPITALS WOULD HELP TO ENSURE THAT PATIENTS ARE TREATED WITH FACILITIES CLINICALLY COMPATIBLE WITH HIS CONDITION.

NON-ACUTE PATIENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD NOT BE ADMITTED DIRECT TO A REGIONAL HOSPITAL, BUT WOULD RECEIVE TREATMENT AT A CLINIC OR POLYCLINIC, OR BE ADMITTED FIRST INTO A DISTRICT HOSPITAL WHEN THE CONDITION WARRANTS ADMISSION.

+THIS SYSTEM WILL HELP RELIEVE OVERCROWDING AT THE REGIONAL HOSPITAL, WHICH IS FOR TREATING ACUTE CASES, AND MAKE BETTER USE OF THE UNDER-UTILIZED FACILITIES IN SOME DISTRICT HOSPITALS, + SAID DR. LEE.

WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF REGIONALISATION, PATIENTS WHO DO NOT REQUIRE THE LEVEL OF TREATMENT AT THE OVERCROWDED REGIONAL HOSPITALS CAN BE TRANSFERRED TO THE DISTRICT HOSPITALS, HE ADDED.

/DR. LEE