XN000022-1994-03-23 — Page 12

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 1994

TUEN MUN HOSPITAL BEDS MEET DEMAND

ARE

1,093 BEDS PREVAILING

OF THE 1,606-BED COMPLEMENT AT TUEN MUN HOSPITAL, AS AT

1 ALREADY

MARCH

TO OPERATION

SATISFY IN OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND ELIZABETH WONG, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

WELFARE, MRS

MRS OPENED

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ZACHARY WONG, WONG SAID THE REMAINING 503 BEDS OF TUEN MUN HOSPITAL WOULD BE IN THE NEAR FUTURE ON SERVICE DEMANDS.

"ACCORDING TO

PRESENT

PROJECTIONS MADE BY THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITY, THE HOSPITAL WILL OPERATE TO FULL CAPACITY BY 1996.

MEET AND 400

"THE AUTHORITY IS ALSO CONFIDENT THAT IT WILL BE ABLE TO THE ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL MANPOWER REQUIREMENT OF 70 DOCTORS NURSES, SHE ADDED.

MRS WONG ALSO EXPLAINED THAT HOSPITALS WERE DESIGNED TO FOR LONG-TERM MEDICAL NEEDS.

CAPACITY

CATER

INVOLVES THE CAREFUL DISEASE PATTERN

то COMMISSIONING

FULL IDENTIFICATION OF SERVICE NEEDS, POPULATION GROWTH, AND DEMOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE.

OVERCROWDED FAMILIES IN PUBLIC RENTAL HOUSING DECREASING

*

EVERY YEAR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY SETS ASIDE A QUOTA ALLOCATION OF PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS FOR RELIEF OF OVERCROWDING.

IN THE

USING THIS QUOTA, AN AVERAGE OF 4,000 OVERCROWDED HOUSEHOLDS HAVE OBTAINED LARGER UNITS OR AN ADDITIONAL UNIT IN EACH OF THE LAST THREE YEARS.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS, MR CANICE C F MAK, TODAY (WEDNESDAY} IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON LI WAH-MING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

UNDER THE POLICY OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, HE SAID, THE DENSITY STANDARDS FOR PUBLIC RENTAL. HOUSING ESTATES AND TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS ARE SET AT 4.5 SQUARE METRES AND 3.4 SQUARE METRES OF THE INTERNAL FLOOR AREA PER PERSON RESPECTIVELY.

AGAINST THESE YARDSTICKS, THE HOUSEHOLDS REGARDED AS LIVING OVERCROWDED CONDITIONS MAY APPLY FOR RELIEF OF OVERCROWDING.

IN

MR MAK SAID: "OVERCROWDED FAMILIES CAN ALSO OBTAIN RELIEF THROUGH THE COMPREHENSIVE REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME, THE WAITING LIST OR THE PURCHASE OF HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME OR PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION SCHEME FLATS."

THROUGH THESE AVENUES, THE NUMBER OF OVERCROWDED PUBLIC RENTAL HOUSING ESTATE HOUSEHOLDS HAS DECREASED FROM 111,800 IN 1982 ΤΟ THE PRESENT 19,100.

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