XN000022-1978-01-16 — Page 7

MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 1978

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SINCE ITS INCEPTION, ABOUT 42,000 PEOPLE HAVE SOUGHT AID FROM THE DEPARTMENT IN RESPECT OF CIVIL CASES AND THE TOTAL VALUE OF DAMAGES RECOVERED FOR AIDED PERSONS AMOUNTED TO MANY TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

THE SERVICES OF THE DEPARTMENT WERE EXTENDED IN JANUARY 1970 TO COVER CRIMINAL TRIALS IN THE HIGH COURT AND APPEAL CASES GENERALLY. THEY WERE FURTHER EXPANDED IN APRIL 1973 TO COVER MOST CASES TRIED IN DISTRICT COURTS. MORE THAN 7,000 PEOPLE HAVE APPROACHED THE DEPARTMENT FOR AID IN CRIMINAL CASES SINCE JANUARY 1970.

PATHOLOGY BUILDING MARKS PROGRESS

OF GOVERNMENT MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

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THE GOVERNMENT'S 10-YEAR MED ICAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME HAS TAKEN ANOTHER BIG STRIDE FORWARD WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN.. 11-STOREY-ELINICAL PATHOLOGY BUILDING AT KWONG WAH HOSPITAL.

THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR. K.L. THONG, TODAY PERFORMED THE EARTH-BREAKING CEREMONY TO MARK THE COMMENCE- MENT OF CONSTRUCTION OF THE HUGE MEDICAL COMPLEX.

WHEN COMPLETED, THE BUILDING WILL HOUSE A LARGE NUMBER OF RESEARCH AND THERAPY UNITS, SUCH AS X-RAY DEPARTMENT, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY DEPARTMENT, PHYSIOTHERAPY DEPARTMENT, ORTHOPAEDIC WARD CHEMICAL PATHOLOGY UNIT, BACTERIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGY UNIT AND BLOOD TESTING UNIT.

SPEAKING AT THE CEREMONY, DR. THONG SAID THE CLINICAL PATHOLOGY BUILDING WAS THE LATEST PRODUCT OF THE JOINT EFFORTS OF THE SUCCESSIVE BOARDS OF DIRECTORS OF THE TUNG WAH GROUP AND THE GOVERNMENT IN PROVIDING MEDICAL SERVICES FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

HE SAID THE BUILDING WAS ONE OF THE PROJECTS IN THE GOVERNMENT'S 10-YEAR MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME.

+WHEN COMPLETED, IT WILL PROVIDE A MUCH LARGER ACCOMMODATION AND GREATER RANGE OF VARIOUS SERVICES WHICH WILL GREATLY ENHANCE THE FACILITIES OF KWONG WAH HOSPITAL AND ENABLE IT TO PLAY THE FULL ROLE OF A REGIONAL HOSPITAL, HE SAID.

DR. THONG SAID THAT DUE TO THE SIZE AND COMPLEX NATURE OF THE PROJECT, CONSIDERABLE TIME HAD BEEN SPENT IN ITS PLANNING.

THE LATEST ESTIMATED COST OF THE PROJECT WAS $17 MILLION, 80 PER CENT OF WHICH WAS TO BE BORNE BY THE GOVERNMENT WITH THE BALANCE TO BE RAISED BY THE TUNG WAH GROUP, HE SAID.

DR. THONG PAID TRIBUTE TO THE PAST AND PRESENT BOARDS OF DIRECTORS FOR THEIR UNCEASING EFFORTS IN GETTING THE PROJECT FINALLY UNDERWAY.

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