XN000022-1978-10-06 — Page 6

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1978

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OUT-PATIENTS CLINIC SERVICES EXPAND ******

THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CLINIC SESSIONS IN THE EVENING AS WELL AS ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN YET ANOTHER MAJOR EFFORT TO EXPAND OUT-PATIENTS SERVICES FOR THE COMMUNITY.

FROM MONDAY (OCTOBER 9), FOUR MORE GOVERNMENT OUT-PATIENTS CLINICS WILL OPERATE EVENING SESSIONS. THESE ARE TANG SHIU KIN HOSPITAL'S OUT-PATIENTS DEPARTMENT ON THE ISLAND, THE SHEUNG SHA WAN JOCKEY CLUB CLINIC IN KOWLOON AND THE YUEN LONG JOCKEY CLUB CLINIC AND SHEK WU HUI JOCKEY CLUB CLINIC IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

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IN ADDITION, THE KOWLOON HOSPITAL OUT-PATIENTS DEPARTMENT AND THE YAUMATI JOCKEY CLUB CLINIC, WHICH ALREADY PROVIDE EVENING CLINIC SERVICES, WILL HAVE EXTRA DOCTORS TO SERVE THE INCREASING NEED IN THE AREAS.

THE YUEN LONG JOCKEY CLUB CLINIC AND THE SHEK WU HU1 JOCKEY CLUB CLINIC WILL ALSO OPERATE ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS.

AT PRESENT, 10 CLINICS ARE PROVIDING OUT-PATIENTS SERVICES IN THE EVENING AND SIX CLINICS ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS. THERE ARE MORE THAN 50 GOVERNMENT OUT-PATIENTS CLINICS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG ISLAND, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVING THE COMMUNITY.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT EXPLAINED THAT THE PROVISION OF EXTRA CLINICAL SESSIONS IN THE EVENING AND ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IS IN LINE WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO IMPROVE THE OUT-PATIENTS SERVICES.

+THESE ARE CONSIDERED TO BE THE MOST PRACTICAL AND EFFICIENT SHORT-TERM MEASURES TO ALLEVIATE THE PRESSURE ON OUT-PATIENTS SERVICES CAUSED BY THE STEADY POPULATION GROWTH, HE SAID.

+EXPERIENCES DURING THE PAST YEARS SHOWED THAT THE ADDITIONAL SESSIONS HAVE CONTRIBUTED MUCH TO RELIEVING THE PRESSURE AT GOVERNMENT CLINICS AND AT THE SAME TIME HAVE PROVIDED A MUCH NEEDED FACILITY FOR PEOPLE WHO PREFER TO ATTEND CLINICS IN THE EVENINGS, + HE ADDED.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THIS SCHEME IS BEING KEPT UNDER CONSTANT REVIEW WITH A VIEW TO MAKING FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS AND EXPANSION WHERE NECESSARY.

HE URGED THE PUBLIC TO MAKE BETTER USE OF THESE ADDITIONAL FACILITIES AS SOME EVENING CLINICS ARE NOT FULLY UTILISED.

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