XN000022-1979-03-27 — Page 7

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TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 1979

+WITH THE RAPID GROWTH IN POPULATION IN TSUEN WAN AND KWAI CHUNG THERE IS A PRESSING NEED FOR YAN CHAI TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE ITS SERVICES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.

+THE MAJOR PROBLEM IS TO KEEP PACE WITH THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW TERRITORIES BUT WITH THE STRONG SUPPORT OF HOSPITALS SUCH AS YAN CHAI WITH ITS FAR-SEEING BOARD OF DIRECTORS I BELIEVE WE CAN MEET THE CHALLENGE,+ MR. HO NOTED.

ON YAN CHAI'S EXPANSION PROGRAMME, MR. HO SAID THE FIRST STAGES WILL MAKE IT INTO AN ACUTE DISTRICT HOSPITAL.

+THE OTHER STAGES OF THIS PROJECT HAVE RECENTLY BEEN ENDORSED BY THE MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE WHICH ADVISES THE GOVERNMENT ON ITS MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME.

+THE GOVERNMENT IS PROVIDING A CAPITAL SUBVENTION OF 75 PER CENT OF THE COST INVOLVED IN IMPLEMENTING THE FIRST PART OF THE PROGRAMME, BUT EVEN THE 25 PER CENT THE DIRECTORS HAVE UNDERTAKEN TO RAISE IS A SUBSTANTIAL EFFORT, HE ADDED.

IN CONCLUSION. MR. HO ACKNOWLEDGED THE GOVERNMENT'S APPRECIATION OF THE GENEROUS DONATIONS BY THE YAN CHAI CHAIRMAN MR. VỤ CHUNG, MR. JOHN TUNG, MRS, CHA CHI-MING AND THE LEE KWONG YIK CLAN, EACH HAVING CONTRIBUTED $500,000 OR MORE TOWARDS THE EXPANSION PROGRAMME.

PRESIDENT OF COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION TO VISIT HK

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MP. PRESIDENT OF THE

THE HON. JOHN RICHARD HARRISON, MP COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION AND SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, NEW ZEALAND, WILL ARRIVE IN HONG KONG TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY) FOR A TWO-DAY OFFICIAL VISIT.

MR. HARRISON, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS WIFE, IS VISITING HONG KONG AS PART OF HIS SIX-WEEK TOUR OF MEMBER BRANCHES IN HIS CAPACITY AS PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION.

HE WILL BE GREETED ON ARRIVAL BY THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF THE HONG KONG BRANCH OF THE ASSOCIATION, THE HON. LI FOOK-KOW AND ITS HONORARY SECRETARY, MR. STEPHEN TAM.

MR. HARRISON WILL ATTEND THE RESUMED BUDGET DEBATE AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON THURSDAY WHEN UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS SPEAK ON THE 1979-80 FINANCIAL BUDGET.

HE WILL ALSO MEET THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR JACK CATER AND THE NEW ZEALAND COMMISSIONER, MR. BART FINNY.

MR. HARRISON WILL LEAVE HONG KONG ON THURSDAY EVENING.

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