XN000022-1981-11-18 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1981

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ROTARY VESSEL HANDED OVER

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MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES IN THE OUTLYING ISLANDS AND REMOTE COASTAL AREAS WILL BE STRENGTHENED BY AN ADDITIONAL FLOATING CLINIC, DONATED BY THE KOWLOON WEST ROTARY CLUB.

THE 14-METRE-LONG MEDICAL LAUNCH GIVEN TO THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL BE OPERATING IN A FEW MONTHS' TIME.

THE VESSEL, NAMED THE +ROTARY+, WAS HANDED OVER TO THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR K.L. THONG, AT A LAUNCHING CEREMONY THIS AFTERNOON AT THE HIP HING CHEUNG SHIPYARD, THE SHIPBUILDER,

IN ACCEPTING THE VESSEL, DR THONG PAID TRIBUTE TO THE CLUB FOR ITS SUPPORT IN DEVELOPING MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE COMMUNITY.

BECAUSE OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, RESIDENTS ARE PROVIDED WITH A VARIETY OF SUCH MEDICAL FACILITIES AS A FLYING DOCTOR HELICOPTER SERVICE, TRAVELLING DISPENSARIES, AND STATIC AND FLOATING CLINICS, HE SAID.

FOR THE PAST TWO DECADES, RESIDENTS IN OUTLYING DISTRICTS HAVE BEEN SERVED BY TWO FLOATING CLINICS, THE CHEE HONG AND THE CHEE WAN.

THE TWO MEDICAL LAUNCHES HAVE PROVIDED REGULAR MEDICAL CONSULTATIONS AND TREATMENT TO THE RESIDENTS AS WELL AS FACILITIES FOR VACCINATION AND INOCULATION AGAINST THE VARIOUS INFECTIOUS DISEASES, HE SAID.

BETWEEN THEM, THE TWO FLOATING CLINICS VISIT A TOTAL OF

27 PLACES A WEEK, HE ADDED.

THE CHEE WAN VISITS THE EASTERN SEABOARD OF HONG KONG, GOING AS FAR AS KAT O, WHILE THE CHEE HONG'S CALLS ARE CONFINED TO THE WESTERN AND SOUTHERN WATERS, INCLUDING PENG CHAU AND PO TOI.

+WITH THE INCREASE IN POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN OUTLYING ISLANDS, A THIRD FLOATING CLINIC IS ESSENTIAL AND INDEED HAS COME AT THE MOST APPROPRIATE TIME,+ SAID DR THONG.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THIS NEW ADDITION WILL PROVIDE MORE CLINICAL SESSIONS FOR THE OUTLYING ISLANDS AND WILL HELP RELIEVE THE PRESENT TIGHT SCHEDULE COVERED BY THE TWO FLOATING CLINICS.