XN000022-1981-02-17 — Page 11

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1981

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BANKER TOURS SHA TIN

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MR REUBEN STERNFELD, EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK, TODAY TOURED SHA TIN NEW TOWN TO SEE SOME OF THE PROJECTS BEING BUILT WITH LOANS FROM THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (ADB).

THE INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK IS THE EQUIVALENT OF THE ADB IN THE UNITED STATES.

MR STERNFELD, ON A FOUR-DAY VISIT TO HONG KONG, WAS ACCOMPANIED ON THE TOUR BY MR KENNETH KWOK, PROJECT MANAGER (SHA TIN), OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

AMONG THE PROJECTS VISITED WERE THE SHA TIN TEACHING HOSPITAL AND THE SHA TIN SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS.

THE HOSPITAL, PARTLY FINANCED BY THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK, WILL PROVIDE A FULL RANGE OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH FACILITIES WITH GENERAL AND SPECIALIST SERVICES.

IT WILL ALSO BE THE TEACHING HOSPITAL FOR THE MEDICAL FACULTY OF THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, PROVIDING CLINICAL TRAINING FACILITIES FOR 300 MEDICAL STUDENTS,

WORK ON THE PROJECT IS ABOUT 30 PER CENT COMPLETE. WHEN FULLY COMPLETED LATE NEXT YEAR, THE $425 MILLION HOSPITAL WILL HAVE 1 400 BEDS TO AUGMENT HOSPITAL FACILITIES FOR 700 000 PEOPLE IN THE EASTERN AREA OF THE NEW TERRITORIES,

THE SHA TIN SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS, WHICH IS ALSO PARTLY FINANCED BY THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK, WILL PROVIDE FULL BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT TO SEWAGE.

WORK ON THE PROJECT IS NOW IN FULL SWING AND INLET WORKS ARE EXPECTED TO BE COMMISSIONED FOR SCREENING AND DEGRITTING BY THE END OF NEXT MONTH.

THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY THE COMMISSIONING OF THE SEDIMENTATION, SLUDGE HOLDING TANKS TOGETHER WITH THE CENTRIFUGE HOUSE AND THE SUBMARINE OUTFALL IN OCTOBER.

WHEN FULLY COMMISSIONED NEXT YEAR, THE FIRST STAGE OF THE TREATMENT WORKS, COSTING ABOUT $310 MILLION, WILL SERVE A POPULATION OF ABOUT 230 ODÓ IN THE NEW TOWN.

MR STERNFELD, WHO ARRIVED OVER THE WEEKEND, HAD TALKS YESTERDAY WITH PWD'S DIRECTOR OF BUILDING DEVELOPMENT, MR JOHN AITKEN- DIRECTOR OF NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT, MR JOHN DON AND DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT, MR NICKY CHAN.

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