XN000022-1978-08-06 — Page 3

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 6, 1978

POKESMAN FOR THE NARCOTICS DIVISION SAID A UNIQUE FEATURE CF m. CRDA COMPUTER PROGRAMME, IS THAT IT CAN IDENTIFY RECORDS RECEIVED ON THE SAME PERSON OVER A PERIOD EVEN IF THE NAME IDENTITY CARD NUMBER OR OTHER PARTICULARS REPORTED IN THE RECORD SHEETS ARE NOT CONSISTENT EVERY TIME.

+ IN SHORT, THE COMPUTER CAN DISTINGUISH BETWEEN TEN ADDICTS EACH REPORTED ONCE AND ONE ADDICT REPORTED TEN TIMES, HE SAID,

+ THE LACK OF SUCH CAPABILITY IN THE OLD CRDA SYSTEM WAS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS FOR THE REVAMPING BECAUSE RECORDS WITH THE 1.D. CARD NUMBER MISSING OR THE NAME WRITTEN IN THE WRONG CHINESE CHARACTERS OFTEN LED TO CONFUSION IN THE OLD SYSTEM AS TO WHETHER CERTAIN RECORDS BELONGED TO THE SAME PERSON OR DIFFERENT PERSONS, HE EXPLAINED.

ANOTHER IMPORTANT FEATURE OF THE NEW CRDA, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, IS THAT IT CAN PRODUCE STATISTICAL TABLES BI-MONTHLY OR WHENEVER REQUIRED, COMPARED TO THE OLD SYSTEM WHICH COULD PRODUCE TABULATIONS ONLY ONCE A YEAR.

THE SPOKESMAN ALSO POINTED OUT THAT INFORMATION ON ALL INDIVIDUAL ADDICTS IS KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL IN THE CRDA.

+OUR INTENTION IS TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE DRUG PROBLEM AND TO MEASURE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR EFFORTS, NOT TO COLLECT INFORMATION FOR USE AGAINST ADDICTS IN ANY WAY, HE SAID.

THE RE-ORGANISATION OF THE CRDA OWED MUCH TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WHICH HAS FINANCED THE CONSULTANCY OF MR. BENT WERBELL AN EXPERT WHO HAD FIVE YEARS PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE OF THIS SPECIALISED TYPE OF WORK THROUGH HIS MANAGEMENT OF THE NEW YORK CITY NARCOTICS REGISTER.

HE IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN HONG KONG, FOR HIS THIRD ANNUAL VISIT TODAY, AND WILL SPEND SIX WEEKS HERE IN REVIEWING THE INITIAL OPERATION OF THE NEW COMPUTER SYSTEM.

IN ADDITION, THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IS ALSO FUND ING THE CONSULTANCY OF ANOTHER EXPERT, DR. ROBERT NEWMAN, DIRECTOR OF THE BETH ISRAEL MEDICAL CENTRE IN NEW YORK CITY WHO FIRST CAME TO HONG KONG THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO AND, IN THE COURSE OF A REVIEW OF THE GOVERNMENT'S TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION PROGRAMMES FOR DRUG DEPENDENTS, MADE FOR THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, RECOMMENDED THE RE-ORGANISATION OF THE CRDA.

HE IS EXPECTED TO VISIT HONG KONG FOR TWO WEEKS IN EARLY SEPTEMBER, WHEN HE WILL ADVISE ON THE INITIAL FINDINGS OF THE NEW REGISTRY.

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