XN000022-1994-04-22 — Page 5

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FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 1994

HOSPITAL'S PREDECESSOR, THE RUTTONJEE SANATORIUM, WAS SET UP BY THE HONG KONG TUBERCULOSIS, CHEST AND HEART DISEASES ASSOCIATION WITH SUPPORT FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND THE JOCKEY CLUB.

MR PATTEN SAID SUCH PARTNERSHIP HELPED TO LAUNCH A TUBERCULOSIS PREVENTION CAMPAIGN IN THE 1950'S.

"THESE EFFORTS

WERE TREMENDOUSLY SUCCESSFUL, LEADING ΤΟ A REDUCTION IN MORTALITY FROM TUBERCULOSIS FROM 208 PER 100,000 IN THE POPULATION

1951 TO ONLY 7.3 PER 100,000 BY THE LATE IN

1980'S," HE

SAID.

A

WHILE CONTINUING TO CARE FOR TUBERCULOSIS, CHEST AND HEART DISEASES, THE NEW HOSPITAL WILL PROVIDE MANY MORE BEDS FOR GERIATRIC CASES AND WILL PROVIDE TREATMENT FOR AILMENTS THAT COMMONLY AFFECT OLDER PEOPLE.

"1T WILL PROVIDE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE ΤΟ GERIATRIC PATIENTS OF ALL THE HOSPITALS ON HONG KONG ISLAND," HE SAID.

TRANSCRIPT OF CHIEF SECRETARY'S MEDIA SESSION

* * *

THE FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEDIA SESSION BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, MRS ANSON CHAN, AT THE CGO LOBBY THIS (FRIDAY) AFTERNOON BEFORE HER DEPARTURE FOR THE VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES:-

CS: AS YOU KNOW, I SHALL BE LEAVING FOR WASHINGTON THIS EVENING, SO TO SAVE YOU A TRIP OUT TO THE AIRPORT, I THOUGHT I MIGHT SAY A FEW WORDS TO YOU RIGHT NOW. I SHALL BE SPENDING FOUR AND A HALF DAYS IN WASHINGTON AND ONE AND A HALF DAYS IN NEW YORK. I HAVE A VERY FULL AND A VERY HECTIC PROGRAMME INDEED. DURING MY VISIT, I SHALL BE SEEING THE ACTING SECRETARY OF STATE, MR STROBE TALBOTT, THE TREASURY SECRETARY, MR LLOYD BENTSEN. I SHALL ALSO BE MEETING WITH SENATE MAJORITY LEADER, MR GEORGE MITCHELL, AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, MR TOM FOLEY AND OTHER CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS. I HAVE ALSO TWO FAIRLY IMPORTANT SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, FIRST OF ALL, TO THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB IN WASHINGTON AND TO THE ASIA SOCIETY IN NEW YORK.

THE PURPOSE OF MY VISIT THIS TIME 18 TWO-FOLD: FIRST, TO STRENGTHEN THE TRADITIONALLY CLOSE ECONOMIC AND TRADE TIES THAT WE

HAVE

WITH THE UNITED STATES, AND SECONDLY, OF COURSE, TO EXPRESS OUR CONCERN OVER THE POSSIBLE WITHDRAWAL OF THE MEN STATUS FOR CHINA. I THINK THAT ON THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC FRONT, I HAVE A GOOD MESSAGE то BRING TO THE PEOPLE IN THE STATES. OUR ECONOMY CONTINUES TO PERFORM VERY ROBUSTLY AND ALTHOUGH BETWEEN NOW AND 1997, NO DOUBT, THERE WILL BE UPS AND DOWNS, ON THE WHOLE, THE ECONOMIC PROSPECTS ARE VERY BRIGHT AND I HOPE THIS WILL BE A VERY GOOD AND CLEAR MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO CONTINUE TO WANT TO TRADE WITH US AND REGARD HONG KONG AS THE HUB OF BUSINESS ACTIVITIES IN THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION.

/DURING MY