XN000022-1982-08-23 — Page 6

MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 1982

PLANS FOR MORE SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY

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DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES WERE BEING IMPLEMENTED TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL 850 GERIATRIC BEDS, 1 600 INFIRMARY BEDS AND 220 DAY HOSPITAL PLACES FOR THE ELDERLY POPULATION DURING THE CURRENT DECADE, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR S.H. LEE, SAID TODAY.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE MEDICAL CARE FOR THE AGED+ EXHIBITION, HE SAID THAT THESE PROGRAMMES HAD BEEN INCLUDED IN THE BUILDING PLANS OF THE GOVERNMENT AND SUBVENTED ORGANISATIONS.

AT THE SAME TIME, EXPANSION PROGRAMMES NOW TAKING PLACE IN GENERAL HOSPITALS AND CLINICS AND FOR COMMUNITY NURSING WOULD ALSO BRING BENEFITS TO THE ELDERLY PATIENTS, HE ADDED.

DR LEE SAID THAT, HOWEVER, HEALTH CARE FOR THE ELDERLY SHOULD NOT BE CONFINED ONLY TO MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS.

+THE SUCCESSFUL REHABILITATION OF AGED INDIVIDUALS MUST AIM AT INTEGRATING THEM, WHENEVER POSSIBLE, INTO THE COMMUNITY,+ HE SAID.

+ THE AGING INDIVIDUALS, THEIR FAMILIES AND THE COMMUNITY ALL HAVE TO SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ADOPTING VARIOUS MEASURES AIMED AT PROMOTING THE WELL BEING OF THE ELDERLY AND ENABLING THEM TO REMAIN PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE,+ HE ADDED.

THE EXHIBITION, ORGANISED BY THE EAST KOWLOON JAYCEES, FEATURES VARIOUS DISPLAYS ON WAYS TO MAINTAIN ONE'S HEALTH IN OLD AGE AND ON MEDICAL SERVICES AVAILABLE FOR THE AGED.

DR LEE NOTED THAT TO DRAW WORLDWIDE ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEMS OF THE AGED, THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION ADOPTED THE SLOGAN +ADD LIFE TO YEARS+ FOR THIS YEAR'S WORLD HEALTH DAY.

NOWADAYS, HE SAID, WITH THE GRADUAL INCREASE IN GENERAL LIFE EXPECTANCY AND FALLING FERTILITY RATES, THE NUMBER OF ELDERLY PEOPLE HAD INCREASED BOTH RELATIVELY AND IN ABSOLUTE TERMS,

IN HONG XOKS, THE PROPORTION OF PEOPLE AGED 60 AND ABOVE HAD INCREASED STEADILY IN THE PAST DECADE, FROM 7.4 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION IN 1971 TO 10.2 PER CENT IN 1981.

DR LEE POINTED OUT THAT THERE WAS A WIDE RANGE OF MEDICAL SERVICES AVAILABLE TO THE ELDERLY THROUGH OUTPATIENT CLINICS, HOSPITALS FOR ACUTE CASES, MEDICAL INFIRMARIES AND OTHER SUPPORTING SERVICES.

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/CH THE

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