XN000022-1979-02-14 — Page 14

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1979

THE ADB, WHICH PROVIDED THE LOAN FOR THE SHA TIN HOSPITAL- POLYTECHNIC PROJECT, HAD SUGGESTED AIR-CONDITIONING THE HOSPITAL TOTALLY, IN VIEW OF THE LEVEL OF SOPHISTICATION BEING SOUGHT AND ACHIEVED IN MEDICAL PRACTICE IN HONG KONG, THE HIGHLY TECHNICAL AND EXPENSIVE DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC EQUIPMENT BE ING PROVIDED, AND THE PROVISION OF MORE MODERN MEDICAL FACILITIES BEING ACHIEVED.+

HE URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO DECIDE QUICKLY ON AIR- CONDITION ING ALL NEW HOSPITAL PROJECTS SUCH AS THE PROPOSED NEW SHA TIN AND TUEN MUN HOSPITALS OTHERWISE, HE SAID, EXTRA WORK AND COSTS WOULD BE INCURRED UNNECESSARILY.

HE RECOGNISED THAT IN EXISTING HOSPITALS, THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE A CONSIDERABLE DEGREE OF COMPLEX DÉSIGN INVOLVING ARCHITECTURAL AND STRUCTURAL MODIFICATIONS BUT THE DISTURBANCE COULD BE MINIMISED BY PROVIDING AIR-CONDITIONING IN PHASES.

FROM PRELIMINARY ENQUIRIES HE LEARNED THAT THE COST OF TOTALLY A IR-CONDITIONING A HOSPITAL WITH A FLOOR AREA OF ABOUT 12,000 SQUARE METRES WOULD BE ABOUT $3 MILLION. +BUT EVERYTHING HAS A PRICE AND AIR-CONDITIONING OF THIRD CLASS WARDS IS A PRICE WELL WORTH PAYING FOR THESE WARDS ACCOMMODATE A DAILY TOTAL AVERAGE OF ABOUT 10,000 PATIENTS,+ HE SAID.

DR. THE HON, RAYSON HUANG, SPEAKING IN SUPPORT, ASKED HOW HONG KONG COULD, +AT A TIME WHEN EVEN CERTAIN ANIMALS IN HONG KONG ARE PRIVILEGED TO ENJOY THE LUXURY OF AIR- CONDITIONING, DENY THE SAME COMFORT TO HUMAN BEINGS WHO ARE ILL ENOUGH TO REQUIRE TREATMENT IN HOSPITAL.+

HE ALSO ASKED WHY THE RELATIVELY SPACIOUS FIRST AND SECOND-CLASS WARDS ARE AIR-CONDITIONED WHILE THE OFTEN OVERCROWDED THIRD CLASS WARDS ARE NOT.

+THE LESS AFFLUENT SUFFER FROM ILLNESS AS SUCH AS,

IF NOT MORE THAN, THE RICH, + HE SAID.

DR. HUANG AGREED THAT AIR-CONDITIONING WOULD IMPROVE THE WORK ING CONDITIONS OF NURSES AND IMPROVE THE IR RELATIONSHIP WITH PATIENTS.

THE IR ENERGY AND PATIENCE SHOULD NOT BE DETRACTED BY THE DEBILITATING HEAT OF SUMMER WHEN HONG KONG COULD WELL AFFORD TO AIR-CONDITION ALL HOSPITAL WARDS, HE SAID.

HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT SOME THIRD-CLASS WARDS ARE MADE EVEN HOTTER AND MORE STUFFY IN SUMMER BY BE ING COVERED WITH WIRE GAUZE TO KEEP OUT MOSQUITOES AND OTHER INSECTS.

/SUR MAIDS