XN000022-1984-02-15 — Page 13

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY

+HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME OCCASIONS WHEN IT HAD BEEN NECESSARY TO RESCHEDULE SUCH OPERATIONS TO THE NEXT SESSION BECAUSE OF THE LOWER LEVEL OF BLOOD COLLECTION DURING CERTAIN PERIODS OF THE YEAR,+ HE SAID.

DR THONG EXPLAINED THAT SUCH OCCASIONS WERE INFREQUENT AND OCCURRED MAINLY BEFORE MAJOR PUBLIC HOLIDAYS OR FESTIVALS.

J

SURGICAL CASES THAT REQUIRED BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS WERE OF TWO TYPES, ACUTE AND EMERGENCY OPERATIONS AND SCHEDULED OR NON-EMERGENCY OPERATIONS COMMONLY KNOWN AS 'COLD CASES', HE SAID.

HE EMPHASISED THAT THE RESCHEDULING OF OPERATIONS OF COLD CASES HAD NO ADVERSE EFFECT ON THE MEDICAL CONDITION OF THE PATIENTS AS THEY DID NOT REQUIRE IMMEDIATE OPERATIONS.

+THUS, THE RESCHEDULING DOES NOT REALLY CONSTITUTE A DELAY INSOFAR AS THE PATIENTS' CONDITIONS ARE CONCERNED, DR THONG SAID.

THIS MANNER OF BLOOD UTILISATION FOR EMERGENCY AND NON-EMERGENCY CASES WAS COMMON TO MOST HOSPITALS IN THE WORLD, DR THONG SAID.

DR THONG SAID THAT BLOOD WAS NORMALLY COLLECTED BY THE HONG KONG RED CROSS FROM VOLUNTARY DONORS AND THEN SUPPLIED TO THE BLOOD BANKS OF THE MAJOR GOVERNMENT, SUBVENTED AND PRIVATE HOSPITALS.

SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK SCHEME WIDELY USED

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THE SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK SCHEME VIRTUALLY COVERS THE ENTIRE SECONDARY SCHOOL SYSTEM, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, THE HON COLVYN HAYE, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

MR HAYE WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON YEUNG PO-KWAN ABOUT THE PRESENT SITUATION AND FUTURE GOVERNMENT POLICY ON THE PROVISION OF SOCIAL WORKERS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

HE SAID THAT OF THE 482 SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND ASSOCIATED BRANCHES SERVED BY SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS FROM THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, 408 SCHOOLS WERE VISITED REGULARLY BY WORKERS TO FACILITATE LIAISON WITH TEACHING STAFF AND THE COUNSELLING OF INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS.

THE DIRECTOR CONTINUED ANOTHER 74 SCHOOLS, WHICH ARE UNABLE TO OFFER FACILITIES FOR REGULAR VISITS BY A SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER, ARE ACTIVELY ENCOURAGED TO REFER CASES, WHENEVER NECESSARY, TO A WORKER NOMINATED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT OR A VOLUNTARY AGENCY.

IN ALINA