XN000022-1980-10-05 — Page 3

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1980

+AS A RESULT CASES WHICH ARE NOT URGENT ARE OFTEN KEPT WAITING UNTIL ALL THE EMERGENCY CASES RECEIVE DUE TREATMENT, THE SPOKESMAN STRESSED.

HE ALSO WARNED THAT NON-EMERGENCY CASES AT THE CASUALTY WARDS WOULD ONLY DELAY TREATMENT FOR THOSE WHO NEEDED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION, AND COULD JEOPARDISE OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES.

HE URGED THE PUBLIC TO VISIT OUTPATIENT CLINICS FOR TREATMENT OF MINOR AILMENTS.

THE DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO MADE AVAILABLE EVENING SESSIONS AT 14 CLINICS. IN ADDITION, EIGHT CLINICS ARE OPEN ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS TO SERVE THE PUBLIC.

WARNING ON HUNG MING BALLOONS

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ANYONE INTENDING TO TAKE A HUNG MING BALLOON INTO A COUNTRY PARK HAD BETTER THINK CAREFULLY. IF CAUGHT, A $5 000 FINE AND A YEAR IN PRISON COULD RESULT.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION SAID TODAY (SUNDAY) HUNG MING BALLOONS (OR HOT AIR LANTERNS) WERE A SCOURGE OF THE COUNTRYSIDE DURING DRY WEATHER AND A WARNING AT THIS TIME WHEN THE LEVEL OF HUMIDITY WAS DROPPING WAS MOST APPROPRIATE.+

HE SAID IN PAST YEARS RELEASING HUNG MING BALLOONS HAD BEEN PREVALENT IN AUTUMN WHEN THE COUNTRYSIDE WAS AT ITS DRIEST. THEY WERE KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR LARGE NUMBERS OF FIRES, MANY IN AREAS FIREFIGHTERS FOUND DIFFICULT TO REACH.

HE SAID MANY BALLOONS WERE RELEASED FOR FUN, AND EACH YEAR LARGE AREAS OF THE COUNTRYSIDE SUFFERED SERIOUS HARM AS A RESULT.

HE SAID IN VIEW OF THE GROWING POPULARITY OF THE COUNTRYSIDE FOR RECREATION, THE GOVERNMENT WAS TAKING AN INCREASINGLY SERIOUS VIEW OF A MINORITY WHO STARTED COUNTRYSIDE FIRES.

THERE WOULD BE STEPPED-UP EFFORTS TO PREVENT HUNG MING BALLOONS FROM BEING TAKEN INTO COUNTRY PARK AREAS.

AND FINES AND IMPRISONMENT COULD ALSO BE IMPOSED IN CASES WHERE THE BALLOONS CAUSED DAMAGE OUTSIDE COUNTRY PARKS.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE COUNTRYSIDE WAS AT RISK DURING THE PERIOD LEADING UP TO AND FOLLOWING THE CHUNG YEUNG FESTIVAL WHICH FALLS ON OCTOBER 17 THIS YEAR.

+ON THE FESTIVAL DAY ITSELF IT IS USUAL FOR THE LARGEST NUMBER OF FIRES TC OCCUR,+ HE SAID. +APART FROM HUNG MINS BALLOONS, CARELESSLY DISCARDED CIGARETTE ENDS AND LIGHTED MATCHES ALSO MAKE A HEAVY TOLL.+

/HE APPEALED