XN000022-1983-08-19 — Page 4

FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 1983

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MEDICAL SCHEME ARRANGED FOR AGED AND NEEDY

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A COMMUNITY MEDICAL SERVICE SCHEME WILL BE LAUNCHED FROM MONDAY (AUGUST 22) TO PROVIDE CLINICAL SERVICES AT REDUCED FEES FOR ELDERLY AND NEEDY PEOPLE IN EASTERN DISTRICT.

PEOPLE AGED 60 AND ABOVE AND OTHERS WHO ARE RECEIVING PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND INFIRMITY AND DISABILITY ALLOWANCES WILL BE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM THE NEW SERVICE.

DETAILS OF THE SCHEME WERE ANNOUNCED BY THE EASTERN DISTRICT OFFICER, MR GORDON JONES, AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY (FRIDAY).

HE STRESSED THAT THE SCHEME WAS ONE OF THE COMMUNITY BUILDING EFFORTS INITIATED BY THE LOCAL DISTRICT BOARD TO HELP FURTHER IMPROVE SERVICES TO OLD PEOPLE AND THE NEEDY.

+THE CONCEPT WAS CONCEIVED A YEAR AGO AND HAS RECEIVED AN ENCOURAGING RESPONSE FROM PRIVATE MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS IN THE DISTRICT,+ MR JONES SAID.

* +A TOTAL OF 126 PRACTITIONERS, INCLUDING REGISTERED DOCTORS, HERBALISTS, ACUPUNCTURISTS AND BONE-SETTERS, HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SCHEME.

+A CONFIDENTIAL REGISTER OF THESE PRACTITIONERS WILL BE KEPT IN THE DISTRICT OFFICE AND ITS SUB-OFFICES IN CAUSEWAY BAY, SHAU KEI WAN AND CHAI WAN.

+AN APPLICANT SHOULD APPLY IN PERSON TO ANY OF THESE OFFICES WITH DOCUMENTARY PROOF OF HIS ADDRESS AND AGE TOGETHER WITH RECEIPTS OF SOCIAL WELFARE BENEFITS, IF RECEIVING SUCH BENEFITS, OR PROOF OF ANY OTHER FORM OF 'NEED'.

+HE WILL THEN BE REFERRED TO A PRACTITIONER OF HIS CHOICE NEAREST TO HIS ADDRESS AND GIVEN A LETTER OF INTRODUCTION WHICH MUST BE PRODUCED TO THE PRACTITIONER.+

MR JONES ADDED THAT ANY NEEDY PERSON FAILING TO MEET THE ABOVE CRITERIA MIGHT ALSO BE REFERRED TO THE RELEVANT PRACTITIONER WHO WOULD THEN DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO TREAT THE APPLICANT AT A REDUCED RATE.

THE SCHEME WILL BE LAUNCHED ON AN EXPERIMENTAL BASIS, SUBJECT TO A REVIEW IN SIX MONTHS' TIME.

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