XN000022-1994-07-21 — Page 5

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 1994

QUESTION: MR CHRIS PATTEN, HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY COMMENT FROM THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ABOUT THE RETIREMENT SCHEME SO FAR?

OFFICIALS FAR. WE

GOVERNOR: NO, WE HAVEN'T. I'VE READ ONE OR TWO COMMENTS BY BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD A COMPREHENSIVE OR OFFICIAL RESPONSE SO TOTALLY RECOGNISE THAT IT'S AN ISSUE WHICH PRC OFFICIALS WILL WANT TO CONSIDER CAREFULLY AND CONSTRUCTIVELY. I'M SURE THAT THEY ALL WANT TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE DEBATE IN HONG KONG, OF THE ENTHUSIASM FOR A COMPREHENSIVE SCHEME IN HONG KONG AND I'M SURE THEY'LL WANT THE HONG KONG, IN THE INTEREST OF THE FUTURE WELL-BEING OF HONG KONG AND OF THE SAR, TO GET A MOVE-ON AND TO PUT THINGS IN PLACE AS SOON AS IT'S POSSIBLE. BUT IT IS OF COURSE ENTIRELY RIGHT SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A MAJOR COMMITMENT FOR THE FUTURE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A PROPER OPPORTUNITY FOR PRC OFFICIALS TO LOOK AT THE SCHEME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED.

THE

GOVERNOR VISITS NEW FLYING EYE HOSPITAL

GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, TODAY (THURSDAY) GAVE HIS STRONG SUPPORT TO PROJECT ORBIS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST BLINDNESS BY SYMBOLICALLY PLEDGING HIS CORNEAS AFTER DEATH DURING A VISIT TO THE NEW ORBIS FLYING EYE HOSPITAL.

ACCOMPANIED BY THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MRS ELIZABETH WONG, AND THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION, MR PETER LOK, THE GOVERNOR TOURED THE NEW DC-10 FLYING EYE HOSPITAL AND SHOWED INTEREST IN ITS FACILITIES INCLUDING THE OPERATING ROOM, TREATMENT ROOM AND AUDIO-VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE.

GREAT LASER

THE

MR PATTEN LEARNED THAT THE NEW DC-10 WAS PURCHASED WITH DONATIONS OF ALMOST US$14 MILLION FROM THREE GENEROUS BENEFACTORS, TWO OF WHOM ARE FROM HONG KONG.

IT REPLACED THE 33-YEAR-OLD DC-8 TO CONTINUE THE MISSION OF BRINGING SIGHT AND RENEWED HOPE TO MILLIONS WHO ARE NEEDLESSLY BLIND.

THE NEW AIRCRAFT IS MORE THAN TWICE THE SIZE OF THE DC-8 ALLOWING FOR EXPANSION OF ITS ORIGINAL FACILITIES.

THE GOVERNOR MET THE ORBIS MEDICAL TEAM OF DOCTORS, NURSES AND TECHNICIANS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE PROJECT'S SIGHT-SAVING MEDICAL PROGRAMMES AND ITS MISSIONS TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.

THE NEW ORBIS FLYING EYE HOSPITAL IS CURRENTLY IN HONG KONG FOR A BRIEF STAY BEFORE TAKING OFF TO BEIJING ON JULY 23 FOR A THREE-WEEK MISSION THERE.

SINCE 1982, PROJECT ORBIS HAS RESTORED SIGHT TO MORE THAN 18,000 PATIENTS AND TAUGHT SIGHT-SAVING SKILLS TO 28,000 DOCTORS AND NURSES IN 70 COUNTRIES SINCE 1982.

AND

THE GOVERNOR TODAY ALSO VISITED THE AIRPORT FIRE STATION SAW SOME OF THE MODERN FIRE APPLIANCES AND EQUIPMENT USED FOR FIGHTING AIRCRAFT FIRES AND RESCUING VICTIMS IN EMERGENCIES.

/HE WAS