XN000022-1982-11-01 — Page 3

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1982

APART FROM THE WIDE RANGE OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH FACILITIES, IT WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH THE LATEST MEDICAL EQUIPMENT SUCH AS A COMPUTERISED BODY SCANNER, SEVERAL HIGHLY ADVANCED X-RAY MACHINES AND REMOTE-CONTROLLED OPERATING TABLES.

+THE COMPLETION OF THIS ESSENTIAL PROJECT REPRESENTS THE CONCERTED EFFORTS AND STERLING CONTRIBUTIONS IN VARIOUS WAYS BY MANY ORGANISATIONS AND PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS BOTH LOCALLY AND FROM OVERSEAS, AND IT ILLUSTRATES THE GOVERNMENT'S DETERMINATION TO STRENGTHEN THE PROVISION OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES IN HONG KONG, DR THONG SAID.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF HRH'S SPEECH:

+1 HOPE YOU WILL BELIEVE THAT I AM UTTERING NO CASUAL CONVENTIONAL COURTESY WHEN I TELL YOU THAT I HAVE LOOKED FORWARD EAGERLY TO THIS OCCASION. SOME YEARS AGO, WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS SERVING HERE WITH THE ARNY, WE LIVED IN HONG KONG. WE STRUCK UP THEN MANY VALUED FRIENDSHIPS WE WERE DEEPLY IMPRESSED, AS ANY VISITOR MUST BE, BY THE ENERGY AND BUSTLE AND INGENUITY OF THE PLACE; AND YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHY I FEEL A SENSE OF EXCITEMENT AND ANTICIPATION WHENEVER COME HERE, FOR KNOW THAT I SHALL SEE AROUND ME FRESH EVIDENCE OF THE VITALITY WITH WHICH HONG KONG INVARIABLY CONFRONTS ITS PROBLEMS AND SEIZES ITS OPPORTUNITIES.

+TO PROVIDE HEALTH SERVICES FOR MORE THAN 5 MILLION PEOPLE IN A SMALL AREA MUST BE A DIFFICULT TASK AT THE BEST OF TIMES. YET I SEE THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ENJOY VERY GOOD HEALTH, DESPITE THE DENSITY OF THE POPULATION. MAY I CONGRATULATE YOU MOST WARMLY UPON THE EXCELLENT STANDARDS ALREADY SET BY HONG KONG IN THIS FIELD, AND UPON THE COMPLETION OF THIS MAGNIFICENT HOSPITAL, WHICH WILL PROVIDE THE HIGHEST QUALITY OF MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR THOSE WHO LIVE IN THIS PART OF THE TERRITORY.

*THE PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL WILL ALSO SERVE AS THE TEACHING HOSPITAL FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS, AT UNDERGRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE LEVELS, FROM THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG. I CANNOT LET THIS OCCASION PASS WITHOUT DECLARING A SPECIAL INTEREST IN THAT UNIVERSITY.

+AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS, OF WHICH I AM SO PROUD TO BE THE CHANCELLOR, THE VICE-CHANCELLOR OF THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG TOOK HIS DOCTORATE. ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO, DR JOHN LOACH, THEN THE UNIVERSALLY RESPECTED REGISTRAR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS. WAS ONE OF THOSE WHO ADVISED UPON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY; I HOPE YOU WILL ALLOW ME TO SAY HOW HIGHLY WE IN LEEDS, AS IN OTHER BRITISH UNIVERSITIES, HAVE ALWAYS VALUED OUR CONNECTIONS WITH HONG KONG, WHICH HAS PROVIDED US WITH SO MANY EXCELLENT STUDENTS. MANY OF THEM I HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING AT THE CEREMONIES WHEN DEGREES ARE CONFERRED. YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHY I FEEL PARTICULARLY GLAD TO LEARN THAT THE FIRST SCHOLARSHIP FOR AN OVERSEAS STUDENT GIVEN UNDER THE AEGIS OF THE EDWARD BOYLE MEMORIAL TRUST, ESTABLISHED EARLIER THIS YEAR TO HONOUR THE MEMORY OF OUR LATE VICE-CHANCELLOR AT LEEDS, HAS BEEN AWARDED TO AN ENGINEER ING STUDENT FROM HONG KONG.

/+THIS COLLABORATION