XN000022-1996-01-17 — Page 28

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There is one hospital in Islands District, St. John's Hospital, on Cheung Chau. It provides a wide range of in-patient, out-patient and community services to elderly people e.g. accident and emergency, general and geriatrics out-patient, rehabilitation, infirmary, community nursing and community geriatric assessment services.

Based on the latest set of population projections prepared by the Working Group on Population Distribution in 1992, the number of elderly persons aged 65 and above in the Islands District is expected to be about 10,000 by 2001. Projections for the years beyond 2001 and for individual islands are not available.

Except for a shortfall in subvented care-and-attention places, health and welfare services for the elderly can generally meet the existing demand. In anticipation of an increase in the elderly population, there are plans to provide:-

an additional three social centres for the elderly, two on Lantau Island in 1997/98 and 1998/99 and one on Peng Chau in 1996/97:

one day care centre for the elderly on Cheung Chau in 1998/99;

care-and-attention places and 85 home for the aged places by 1997/98 which will fully meet the demand for residential services then;

an additional 10 home helpers in 1995/96; and

one general out-patient clinic in 1998.

Utilisation of services will be kept under constant review and further expansion of services in the Islands District will be considered as and when appropriate.