XN000022-1985-09-23 — Page 14

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1985

13

'MEDICAL CARE WITHIN EASY REACH OF ALL'

****

IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS THE GOVERNMENT HAS SPENT $885 MILLION ON NEW HOSPITALS AND $183 MILLION ON CLINICS TO BRING HIGH-QUALITY MEDICAL TREATMENT WITHIN EASY REACH OF ALL, THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, MR NICKY CHAN, SAID AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE TUNG WAH GROUP OF HOSPITALS TODAY (MONDAY).

+ IN THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR SOME $312 MILLION, NEARLY SIX PER CENT OF TOTAL EXPENDITURE IN THE CAPITAL WORKS PROGRAMME, HAS BEEN ALLOCATED TO MEDICAL AND HEALTH PROJECTS.

+CONSTRUCTION IS NOW IN HAND ON A MAJOR NEW HOSPITAL AT TUEN MUN. THE HOSPITAL WILL COST SOME $900 MILLION AND WILL PROVIDE 1 600 BEDS, MAKING IT ONE OF THE LARGEST HOSPITALS BEING BUILT IN THE WORLD, + MR CHAN SAID,

WORK HAD ALSO BEGUN ON SITE FORMATION FOR THE SHAU KE1 WAN HOSPITAL AND POLYCLINIC. THE ESTIMATED COST WAS OVER $1.2 BILLION AND IT WOULD PROVIDE 1 580 ADDITIONAL BEDS ON COMPLETION IN 1991, HE ADDED.

+THESE FIGURES ARE FAIRLY BREATHTAKING IN THEMSELVES, BUT THEY ARE FAR FROM THE WHOLE STORY. AT PRESENT THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 38 MEDICAL ITEMS IN CATEGORIES A AND AB OF THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME ON WHICH WORK HAS ALREADY STARTED OR IS DUE TO START IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS.

+THEY INCLUDE NOT ONLY NEW HOSPITALS AND CLINICS BUT A RANGE OF OTHER IMPORTANT ANCILLARY SERVICES SUCH AS NURSE TRAINING SCHOOLS AND OTHER SPECIALIST FACILITIES.

+AT A COST OF OVER $4 BILLION THEY REPRESENT A FORMIDABLE COMMITMENT ON TECHNICAL AND PLANNING RESOURCES OF THE BUILDING DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT.+

MR CHAN SAID THAT HIS CONCENTRATION ON GOVERNMENT PROJECTS WAS NOT INTENDED TO BELITTLE THE SCALE OF BUILDING ACTIVITY IN THE SUBVENTED SECTOR.

HE POINTED OUT THAT IN THE 1985-86 FINANCIAL YEAR THE GOVERNMENT WAS COMMITTED TO SPENDING OVER $1 BILLION ON CAPITAL GRANTS TO SUBVENTED HOSPITALS, THE BULK OF WHICH WOULD GO TOWARDS FINANCING NEW HOSPITAL BUILDING.

+MAJOR PROJECTS IN HAND INCLUDE THE EXTENSIONS TO CARITAS MEDICAL CENTRE AT A TOTAL COST OF $130 MILLION. CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT OF THE YAN CHAI AND POK 01 HOSPITALS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, COSTING $300 MILLION AND $56 MILLION RESPECTIVELY. AND THE CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF FACILITIES AT THE TUNG WAH GROUP'S HOSPITALS.

'+THESE INCLUDE