XN000022-1989-03-30 — Page 11

10

THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 1989

FINE

HE PRAISED THE MEDICAL AND DENTAL OFFICERS FOR SETTING A

AND FOR HAVING CONTRIBUTED EXAMPLE IN DEDICATION TO THE PROFESSION SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE HIGH STANDARD OF SERVICE.

SPEAKING ABOUT THE

OF RE-ORGANISATION WILL TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY (APRIL 11, DR LEE ENHANCE THE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS IN THE AND HEALTH SERVICES.

IT WOULD ALSO PROVIDE A BASIS FOR THE THE STAFF OF THE DEPARTMENT, HE ADDED.

THE DEPARTMENT WHICH SAID THAT IT WOULD DELIVERY OF MEDICAL

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF

THE DIRECTOR SAID HE WAS AWARE THAT MANY OF CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR CONDITIONS OF WORK.

THE

DOCTORS WERE

IMPROVEMENT

COMMITTEE UNDER WELFARE HAD ALSO

THE BEEN

THE GOVERNMENT HAD RECENTLY ANNOUNCED A PACKAGE OF

AND A SPECIAL GRADE. MEASURES FOR THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND SET UP TO REVIEW THE QUALITY OF PATIENT SERVICES, HE SAID.

DR LEE SAID

HE

WAS

CONFIDENT

THAT

WITH

THE GOODWILL AND STAFF, FURTHER IMPROVEMENT

AND

CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE MANAGEMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO BE MADE.

MORE PERSONS ELIGIBLE FOR HIGHER DISABILITY ALLOWANCE

*

THE HIGHER DISABILITY ALLOWANCE (HDA) FOR SEVERELY PERSONS WILL BE EXTENDED TO SEVERELY DISABLED PERSONS AGED

SOCIAL

FROM SATURDAY (APRIL 1. A SPOKESMAN FOR THE

DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY THURSDAY).

DISABLED 16 TO 59 WELFARE

UP TO NOW, THE HDA HAS ONLY BEEN AVAILABLE TO PERSONS AGED 60 AND OVER WHO REQUIRE CONSTANT ATTENDANCE FROM OTHERS IN THEIR DAILY LIFE BUT ARE NOT RECEIVING THIS ATTENDANCE IN A GOVERNMENT OR SUBVENTER INSTITUTION.

FOLLOWING THE REVISION OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE BASIC RATES, WHICH TAKES EFFECT NEXT MONTH, THE RATE OF THE HDA WILL BE $1,240 PER MONTH, TWICE THE RATE OF THE NORMAL DISABILITY ALLOWANCE (NDA).

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT 6,000 PEOPLE WILL BENEFIT FROM THE EXTENSION, AND THE ANNUAL EXPENDITURE WILL BE $89 MILLION.

UP TO THE END OF FEBRUARY, 3,200 PEOPLE WERE DRAWING THE HDA .

/"APART FROM