XN000022-1993-10-15 — Page 15

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1993

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AMS LAUNCHES PERFORMANCE PLEDGES

THE LAUNCHING OF THE AUXILIARY MEDICAL SERVICES' PERFORMANCE PLEDGE PROGRAMME MARKS A MILESTONE IN FURTHER ENHANCING ITS EFFICIENCY OF SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC, THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE ANNUAL AUXILIARY MEDICAL SERVICES (AMS) MESS FUNCTION, MR PATTEN SAID ITS ONGOING PARTICIPATION IN MEDICAL EMERGENCIES AND DISASTER OPERATIONS WERE SPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

THE GOVERNOR SAID IT WAS MOST REASSURING TO LEARN THAT AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE TASK FORCE (ERTF) HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED AND HAD SUCCESSFULLY RESPONDED THE CALLS FOR EMERGENCY DUTIES.

NOTING THAT AMS PLAYED A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN MEDICAL DEFENCE, MR PATTEN SAID THE CITIZENS OF HONG KONG SHOULD BE PROUD OF HAVING SUCH AN EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE AUXILIARY MEDICAL SERVICES.

ALSO SPEAKING AT THE FUNCTION, AMS COMMISSIONER DR 9 H LEE SAID: "WE PLEDGE TO REPORT AT A SCENE OF DISASTER WHENEVER BEING CALLED UPON TO RENDER SUPPLEMENTARY PARAMEDIC CARE.

"WE ALSO PLEDGE TO AUGMENT THE FIRE SERVICES AMBULANCE DEPOTS IN FIRST AID COVERAGE AND ADDITIONAL AMBULANCE MANNING WITHIN 30 TO 45 MINUTES AFTER THE HOISTING OF TYPHOON SIGNAL NO. 8 OR ABOVE." DR LEE SAID.

HE SAID AMS PLAYED AN ACTIVE ROLE IN PROVIDING FIRST AID AND AMBULANCE SERVICES IN COUNTRY PARKS AND AT MAJOR PUBLIC FUNCTIONS.

APART FROM BEING IN FULL READINESS TO PERFORM EMERGENCY ROLES AND FUNCTIONS, AMS MEMBERS ALSO HELPED IN THE OPERATION OF CLINICS VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS DETENTION CENTRES, METHADONE CLINICS, LIFE GUARD DUTIES AND AMBULANCE SERVICES.

DR LEE NOTED THAT MORE THAN 617,000 MAN-HOURS WERE SPENT SUCH ACTIVITIES LAST YEAR.

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ON EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, DR LEE SAID AMS WAS MINDFUL OF THE NEED TO MODERNISE THE OPERATION OF THE SERVICES SO AS TO MAINTAIN ITS EFFICIENCY AND QUALITY.

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SAID 390 AMS MEMBERS HAD RECEIVED INTENSIFIED TRAINING IN EMERGENCY MEDICINE AFTER THE SETTING UP OF THE ERTF IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR.

DR LEE SAID AMS WOULD ALSO HOST AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYMPOSIUM NEXT MONTH TO ENABLE EXPERTS FROM VARIOUS ORGANISATIONS AND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS TO EXCHANGE THEIR EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE THE AREA OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT.

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