XN000022-1995-05-15 — Page 11

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New health centre for the elderly

To enable elderly people to live a healthy, happy and fruitful life is a task the local community which has an ageing population has to face, Legislative Councillor, Mr Michael Ho Mun-ka, said today (Monday).

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Kwun Tong Elderly Health Centre, Mr Ho said a large number of elderly people was an important social force and the setting up of an elderly health programme was therefore necessary.

Mr Ho said he was pleased that the Government had taken a good start by setting up elderly health centres in the territory.

Noting that there were about 64,000 elderly people in Kwun Tong, Mr Ho said the Kwun Tong Elderly Health Centre was instrumental in the health promotion of the elderly in the district.

Also speaking at the ceremony, the Director of Health, Dr Margaret Chan, said it was essential that the elderly knew how to keep themselves healthy and prevent diseases.

Dr Chan said this was the goal of the primary health care services, which included health services for the elderly.

Kwun Tong Elderly Health Centre is the second elderly health centre run by the Department of Health. It offers health education, health risk assessment and simple screening test to people aged 65 and above.

The objective of the service is the promotion of health and the prevention of disease as well as early detection of common diseases.

Each client is issued with a health record and they will also receive individual counselling.

End/Monday, May 15, 1995