XN000022-1981-10-15 — Page 3

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1981

+ALL THESE FACILITIES,+ SAID DR THONG, WILL BE SEEN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HONG KONG.

THE HOSPITAL HAD ACTUALLY BEGUN TO FUNCTION SINCE NOVEMBER 1980 TAKING IN SUB-ACUTE AND LONG-STAYING PATIENTS FROM CASTLE PEAK HOSPITAL AND LATER ON ADMITTING PATIENTS DIRECT FROM MAJOR CASUALTY DEPARTMENT, HE SAID.

BESIDE THE PRESENT INPATIENT SERVICE, KWAI CHUNG HOSPITAL PLANS TO OFFER OTHER AREAS OF NEW SERVICE, SAID DR THONG.

AMONG THESE IS THE COMMUNITY PSYCHIATRIC NURSING SERVICE, WHICH WILL SOON BE ESTABLISHED.

SIR JACK SWITCHES ON LATEST IN PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

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THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT MOVED INTO THE NEW ERA OF ADVANCED PRINTING TECHNOLOGY WHEN THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR JACK CATER, OPENED THE $2.4 MILLION BRITISH-MADE COMPUTERISED TYPESETTING SYSTEM OF THE PRINTING DEPARTMENT THIS AFTERNOON (THURSDAY).

SIR JACK SAID THE NEW SYSTEM WAS +A CONCRETE EXAMPLE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS TO PROVIDE A MORE EFFICIENT, MORE ECONOMIC SERVICE.+

+MODERN GOVERNMENTS, BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRIES ARE EVER INCREASINGLY DEPENDENT UPON FASTER AND CHEAPER ACCESS TO INFORMATION, MUCH OF WHICH MUST BE ATTRACTIVELY PRESENTED AND IN A PERMANENT FORM.

+THIS IS THE PRINTER'S BUSINESS AND IF HE IS TO RETAIN THAT BUSINESS AGAINST NEWER FORMS OF COMMUNICATION, HE MUST CONSTANTLY BE SEEKING IMPROVEMENTS TO HIS PRODUCTION METHODS BOTH FOR SPEED AND ECONOMY.

+THE TYPESETTING SYSTEM ON DISPLAY HERE TODAY IS ONE EXAMPLE OF THE INDUSTRY'S RESPONSE TO THESE INCREASING PRESSURES,+ SIR JACK SAID.

ALTHOUGH SMALL IN TERMS OF MANPOWER AND DOMESTIC EXPORT FIGURES, THE PRINTING INDUSTRY HAD A CRUCIAL ROLE TO PLAY IN PROMOTING SALES OF HONG KONG GOODS ABROAD, IN OILING THE HUGE AND COMPLICATED MACHINERY OF INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC TRADE, AND IN PACKAGING AND LABELLING PRODUCTS, SIR JACK SAID.

PRINTING, BEING A TRADITIONAL CRAFT, WAS STILL A LABOUR INTENSIVE INDUSTRY. WITH SKILLED LABOUR IN SHORT SUPPLY, WAGE RATES IN THE INDUSTRY HAD BEEN INCREASING RAPIDLY. BUT HIGHTER LEVELS OF INVESTMENT AND A GREATER DEGREE OF AUTOMATION WOULD INEVITABLY BE NEEDED, AS WELL AS A CONCENTRATED EFFORT TO TRAIN MORE OPERATIVES TO HIGHTER LEVELS OF SKILL.

+WHILE GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS THIS IN THE FORM OF THE KWUN TONG TECHNICAL INSTITUTE, THE ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY MUST LIE WITH MASTER PRINTERS, SIR JACK SAID.

/HE PAID