XN000022-1996-02-13 — Page 18

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Governor to visit counselling centre for substance abusers

The Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, will visit a counselling centre for psychotropic substance abusers, PS33 (Psychotropic Substance 33), on Thursday (February 15) afternoon to look at the operation of the centre.

This is the seventh in a series of visits to agencies contributing to the reduction of drug abuse following the summit meeting chaired by the Governor in March last year.

Set up in March 1988, PS33 is the first centre for psychotropic substance abusers in Hong Kong. It is funded by government subventions and run by the Hong Kong Christian Service.

Major services provided by PS33 include casework counselling, telephone enquiry services and drop-in enquiries, case assessment and referrals for medical

treatment.

The centre also conducts preventive-educational programmes to the general public and professional training to other helping professionals.

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Injured employees must be protected

Employers must protect their employees who are injured at work in accordance with the Employees' Compensation Ordinance (ECO) otherwise they will face severe punishment.

A Senior Labour Officer of the Labour Department's Employees' Compensation Division, Mrs Jenny Chan, gave the warning today (Tuesday) following a recent court case in which the Wan Fa Design and Decoration Engineering Company Limited in Chai Wan was heavily fined in the Eastern Magistracy for violating the ECO.

The offence came to light as a result of investigations by Labour Department officers into a complaint made by an injured employee of the company in late January 1995.