XN000022-1982-10-13 — Page 11

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1982

DR THONG SAID THAT RESOURCES IN BOTH FINANCE AND TRAINED MANPOWER WERE NOT UNLIMITED+.

+PRIORITIES IN REGARD TO THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICAL PROJECTS ARE SUBJECT TO KEEN COMPETITION NOT ONLY FROM OTHER AREAS OF GOVERNMENTAL ACTIVITIES BUT ALSO AMONG THE PROJECTS WITHIN THE MEDICAL PLAN ITSELF,+ HE SAID.

THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT ADOPTED A REGIONAL ISATION SCHEME FOR MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES FROM 1977 UNDER WHICH A WIDE RANGE OF BOTH CURATIVE AND PREVENTIVE SERVICES WERE PROVIDED FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE REGION AS A WHOLE.

UNDER THE SCHEME, THERE ARE FOUR HOSPITAL REGIONS, OF WHICH HONG KONG ISLAND AS A WHOLE IS ONE.

UNDER THE REGIONALISATION SCHEME, THE EASTERN PART OF HONG KONG ISLAND IS SERVED BY FOUR GOVERNMENT AND SUBVENTED HOSPITALS AND SEVEN OUT-PATIENT CLINICS AND POLYCLINICS.

DR THONG SAID, HOWEVER, THAT DUE TO POPULATION SHIFTS AND GROWTHS, COUPLED WITH TRAFFIC AND OTHER PROBLEMS OVER THE LAST DECADE, THERE APPEARED TO BE SOME NEED FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF MEDICAL FACILITIES FOR THE EASTERN PART OF HONG KONG.

THERE ARE PLANS FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE TANG SHIU KIN HOSPITAL AND THE RUTTONJEE SANATORIUM AS WELL AS THE BUILDING OF TWO CLINICS, ONE POLYCLINIC AND THREE MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH CENTRES.

FACILITIES AT THE EXISTING QUEEN MARY HOSPITAL WILL ALSO BE GREATLY EXPANDED AND UPDATED IN A MAJOR EXTENSION PROJECT, HE SAID.

ALL THESE PROJECTS ARE SCHEDULED TO BE IN OPERATION JUST AFTER THE MID-1980S.

IN ADDITION, A NEW HOSPITAL IS BEING PLANNED AND SCHEDULED TO BE BUILT IN CHAI WAN AT THE END OF THE DECADE.

MEANWHILE, DR THONG SAID, PLANS ARE ALREADY IN HAND TO ESTABLISH ADDITIONAL TREATMENT FACILITIES AT THE CHAI WAN CLINIC FOR TAKING CARE OF EMERGENCY CASES AS AN INTERIM MEASURE.

+ IN VIEW OF BOTH THE EXISTING FACILITIES AND THE SCHEDULED IMPROVEMENTS, THE OVERALL FACILITIES FOR THE EASTERN PART OF HONG KONG, WHICH COMPRISE A WIDE RANGE OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, ARE CONSIDERED TO BE SATISFACTORY, HE ADDED.

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