XN000022-1983-01-02 — Page 5

DUNDAI, JANUAKI 6, 1903

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IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, THE OFFICE DEALT WITH NEARLY 200 COMPLAINTS AND HANDLED SOME 3 000 ENQUIRIES FROM THE PUBLIC AND THE MASS MEDIA. THE SCHEME IS BEING ASSESSED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO SEE IF IT SHOULD BE RUN ON A PERMANENT BASIS.

ON THE HEALTH SIDE, THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HAVE BEEN ENJOYING GOOD HEALTH, AND LAST YEAR WAS NO EXCEPTION, AS EVIDENCED BY THE EXCELLENT HEALTH STATISTICS. THE INFANT MORTALITY RATE, FOR INSTANCE, AT 9.7 PER 1 000 LIVE BIRTHS AND THE MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE, AT 0.08 PER 1 000 TOTAL BIRTHS, WERE AMONG THE LOWEST IN THE WORLD.

DURING THE YEAR, THERE WERE NO OUTBREAKS OF MAJOR COMMUNICABLE DISEASES EXCEPT FOR SEVEN CASES OF CHOLERA, FIVE OF WHICH WERE IMPORTED. THE CHOLERA CASES OCCURRED SPORADICALLY WITH NO COMMON SOURCE OF INFECTION.

LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE, THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS WILL BE MORE INTENSIVE THAN EVER. THERE WILL BE NO LESS THAN 14 MAJOR PROJECTS COMING TO FRUITION UP TO THE END OF THE DECADE, WHICH INCLUDE FOUR MAJOR HOSPITALS, SIX HOSPITAL EXTENSIONS, TWO INFIRMARIES, A MEDICAL REHABILITATION CENTRE AND A MEDICAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CENTRE. IN ADDITION, 17 NEW CLINICS WILL BE BUILT IN THE SAME PERIOD, THE MAJORITY OF WHICH WILL BE LOCATED IN THE NEW TOWNS TO SERVE THE GROWING POPULATION THERE.

IN FACT, WORK WILL BEGIN TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR ON TWO MAJOR REDEVELOPMENT PROJECTS — THE UPGRADING OF RUTTONJEE SANATORIUM FROM AN ANTI-TB INSTITUTE INTO A GENERAL HOSPITAL AND THE QUEEN MARY HOSPITAL EXTENSION WHICH WILL PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL 600-ODD BEDS.

OTHER PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE INCLUDE THE INSTALLATION OF WHOLE BODY SCANNERS AT ALL REGIONAL HOSPITALS, SETTING UP AN EMERGENCY TREATMENT CENTRE AT CHAI WAN, REPROVISIONING THE QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL LAUNDRY, AND BUILDING A CENTRE OF THE INSTITUTE OF PATHOLOGY AND THREE MORTUARIES.

IN DENTAL SERVICE, THERE ARE PLANS TO BUILD THREE SCHOOL DENTAL CENTRES IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WHILE IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE MADE TO THE TWO EXISTING CLINICS.

MORE NURSES TRAINING SCHOOLS WILL ALSO BE ESTABLISHED AND THESE INCLUDE A NEW PUPIL NURSE TRAINING SCHOOL AT KOWLOON HOSPITAL, A SECOND GENERAL NURSE TRAINING SCHOOL AT PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL, AND A NURSE TRAINING SCHOOL AT THE NEW TUEN MUN HOSPITAL IN 1986.

THE CASTLE PEAK HOSPITAL EXTENSION PLANNED FOR 1985 WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL ACCOMMODATION FOR AN ENLARGED PSYCHIATRIC NURSE TRAINING SCHOOL.

ALL THESE DEVELOPMENTS ARE IN LINE WITH THE DEPARTMENT'S POLICY OF ATTAINING A BALANCED PROVISION OF PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SERVICE TO PREVENT EPIDEMICS AND CONTROL COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, AND OF ADVANCED AND SOPHISTICATED FACILITIES FOR SECONDARY AND TERTIARY MEDICAL CARE.

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