XN000022-1982-12-03 — Page 9

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1982

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MR BREMRIDGE STRESSED THAT IT HAD BEEN THE GOVERNMENT'S PRACTICE TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF FAMILY PLANNING AND THIS WOULD CONTINUE.

+TO THIS END, WE HAVE PARTICIPATED DIRECTLY IN THE PROVISION OF FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES SINCE 1973. THE CLOSE COLLABORATION IN THIS FIELD BETWEEN THE ASSOCIATION AND THE GOVERNMENT BROUGHT HONG KONG'S FERTILITY RATES DOWN TO A LEVEL SLIGHTLY BELOW THOSE REQUIRED FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE POPULATION BY THE BEGINNING OF THE 1980'S.

+ALL THIS HAPPENED IN THE WAY PEOPLE DESIRED WITHOUT ANY GOVERNMENT MEASURES TO INDUCE COUPLES TO HAVE SMALLER FAMILIES,+ HE SAID.

HONG KONG IS A FREE SOCIETY AND IT IS THE PARENTS THEMSELVES WHO DECIDE HOW MANY CHILDREN THEY WILL HAVE AND WHEN THEY WILL HAVE THEM, MR BREMRIDGE SAID.

IF THE PARENTS WERE NOT SUFFICIENTLY MOTIVATED, NO PLANNING PROGRAMME WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL. IT WAS ONLY THROUGH EFFECTIVE PUBLICITY THAT COUPLES WERE EDUCATED TO PLAN THE SIZE OF THE IR FAMILIES, AND IT WAS IN THIS AREA THAT THE ASSOCIATION MADE ITS GREATEST CONTRIBUTION, MR BREMRIDGE SAID.

LARGELY THROUGH THE ASSOCIATION'S PUBLICITY AND EDUCATION EFFORTS, NEARLY THREE OUT OF EVERY FOUR MARRIED COUPLES IN HONG KONG ARE NOW PRACTISING FAMILY PLANNING.

+THIS IS INDEED A REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT, HE ADDED.

MR BREMRIDGE SAID THAT THE NUMBER OF FEMALES IN THE FERTILE AGES WOULD CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN THE NEXT TWO DECADES, THOUGH AT A SLOWER RATE.

+WITH THE PROSPECTS OF AN EVER-INCREASING POPULATION WHO ARE IN NEED OF FAMILY PLANNING EDUCATION AND SERVICES, THE WORK OF THE ASSOCIATION WILL CONTINUE TO BE OF PARAMOUNT VALUE AND IMPORTANCE,+ HE SAID.

THE BATTLE WAS STILL FAR FROM BEING WON, BUT HE WAS SURE THAT THE ASSOCIATION WAS ALWAYS PREPARED TO FACE NEW CHALLENGES, MR BREMRIDGE SAID, EXPRESSING HIS APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE FOR THE GOOD WORK IT HAD DONE FOR HONG KONG.

OPENING OF CAT SCANNER AT QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL

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MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, NO MATTER HOW ADVANCED AND SOPHISTICATED, ARE ONLY DIAGNOSTIC AIDS AND NOT SUBSTITUTE FOR SKILL AND CLINICAL ACUMEN OF GOOD PHYSICIANS, THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR K.L. THONG, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).