XN000022-1992-04-08 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 1992

COMMUNITY SUPPORT ESSENTIAL TO SUCCESS OF REHABILITATION

CONFIDENT

THAT

WAS

AND FULL POLICIES

THE

THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MRS ELIZABETH WONG,

THE TWIN GOALS OF

OPPORTUNITIES EQUAL PARTICIPATION INSPIRED BY THE GREEN PAPER ON REHABILITATION AND SERVICES WILL BE ACHIEVED AND THAT THE COMMUNITY WILL PROVIDE DRIVING FORCE FOR ALL TO WORK TOWARDS THESE GOALS.

FOR THE !

SHE ALSO SAID SHE WAS GRATIFIED BY MEMBERS' SUPPORT OVERALL POLICY OBJECTIVES OF REHABILITATION AS DETAILED IN CHAPTER OF THE GREEN PAPER.

"THIS

AND FURTHER ACHIEVE

POINT THE WAY TO FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS WILL DEVELOPMENT OF REHABILITATION SERVICES IN HONG KONG SO AS TO THE TWIN GOALS, SHE ADDED.

THE

MRS WONG MADE THE REMARKS WHEN WINDING UP A MOTION

GREEN PAPER AT

LEGISLATIVE THE REHABILITATION

COUNCIL

DEBATE ON TODAY

(WEDNESDAY).

FROM

SHE SAID REHABILITATION SERVICES COVER A WIDE SPECTRUM, RANGING SOCIAL TO MEDICAL REHABILITATION FOR THE PHYSICALLY OR HANDICAPPED. THESE

HOST OF SERVICES ARE PROVIDED BY A DEPARTMENTS AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS.

MENTALLY GOVERNMENT

BUT REHABILITATION DOES GO BEYOND THE MERE PROVISION OF

THESE

SERVICES.

"IT CALLS FOR A SMOOTH INTERFACE BETWEEN DISABLED PERSONS THE BROADER ENVIRONMENT.

AND

"FOR INSTANCE, ON THE QUESTION OF EMPLOYMENT, GOVERNMENT ITSELF CIVIL SOME TWO PER CENT OF ALL EMPLOYS SOME 3,769 DISABLED PERSONS - SERVANTS INCLUDING 1,589 VISUALLY IMPAIRED PERSONS.

DISABLED

ALSO

"I DARE SAY THE GOVERNMENT IS THE BIGGEST EMPLOYER OF PERSONS BUT THIS IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. WE NEED TO DO MORE AND MAINTAIN A

EMPLOYMENT IN

AND I AM AND COMMITMENT SUSTAINED MOMENTUM MOTIVATING OTHER ORGANISATIONS TO DO THE SAME.

SUCCESS

MRS WONG STRESSED THAT REHABILITATION WOULD NOT BE A WITHOUT THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE WORKING TOGETHER PARTICULARLY IF SOME

WAS, ONE OUT OF OF THE STATISTICS WERE CORRECT, THAT

EVERY THREE HANDICAP OR DISABILITY PERSONS IN HONG KONG HAD SOME FORM OF

WHICH

NEEDED TO BE REHABILITATED,

GOVERNMENT HAS

TO

RESIDENTIAL ENHANCE

SINCE THE PUBLICATION OF THE GREEN PAPER, THE RECEIVED VALUABLE AND DIVERSE COMMENTS, RANGING FROM MORE SERVICES

PERSONS TO SEVERELY REHABILITATION TO THOSE SUFFERING FROM DIABETES AND ASTHMA.

MENTALLY

HANDICAPPED

GIVEN THE RIGHT PRIORITY, MRS WONG POINTED OUT, IS DETERMINED TO ENSURE THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS IMPLEMENTED AS RESOURCES PERMIT.

THE GOVERNMENT

SHOULD

BE

/SHE URGED