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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Past experience clearly illustrates that the waiting time for making a cremation booking always varies throughout the year. Greatest demand is invariably encountered each year between January and mid-April. During this period the waiting time may sometimes be up to 14 days, but usually this period averages 10 days. This year was something of an exception in that applicants were required to wait 15 days during January and February 1993 for a cremation session at Cape Collinson Crematorium, partly because of the sudden breakdown of two cremators in the Diamond Hill Crematorium.
Demand is usually lowest between mid-April and December when applicants can normally secure a booking within 7 days. The reason for the generally longer waiting times at Cape Collinson Crematorium is that this is the first choice of the majority of applicants. Nevertheless, any crematorium is available for booking by any prospective applicant and approximately 24,000 cremations can be provided annually within the territory. Overall, this is certainly adequate to cope with anticipated demand.
As for holding corpses for periods longer than 7 days, this actually poses no inherent risk to health, because this can be assured through modern embalming techniques as well as the provision of adequate cold storage facilities within hospitals and funeral houses.
The second part of the question asks what measures can be taken by the Department to reduce waiting time. In fact, the Department has already implemented a series of measures to tackle the problem. In order to ensure cost-effective usage of cremators, a 7-day booking rule is continually in operation. Under this rule, any applicant may choose to book a cremation time within 7 days from the date of application. However, during periods of high demand, this rule will be extended so that when all sessions in the first 7 days are fully booked, the 8th day is automatically made available for booking. On the same principle, when bookings for the 8th day are full, cremation sessions on the following day, i.e., the 9th day, are made available, etc.
Normally, each cremator can complete 3 cremations per day. A flexible approach has been taken to increase the capacity of the cremators by carrying out 1 or, if need be, 2 additional cremations in each of the cremators whenever the first four days are fully booked. This could increase the capacity of the cremators.
As a third measure, the Department has been liaising with the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department in drawing up an annual maintenance schedule for all cremators in the territory such that only a small number of cremators will be closed down for maintenance and repair at any one period of time.
Although any person is free to choose any crematorium facility in the territory, staff in charge of Regional booking offices will encourage applicants, but not of course insist, that they opt for cremation elsewhere when the facility of first choice is already heavily booked.
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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Finally, Mr. YUEN has also expressed concern about the adequacy of cremation facilities. Although it is envisaged that the existing provision is able to cope with the average yearly demand over the next few years, there is already in hand a complete reprovisioning programme in Cape Collinson in order to replace the existing cremators and also to add 4 more new cremators. According to the Regional Services Department, there will be a parallel reprovisioning programme in 1995 and 1996 so that 2 new cremators will be added each to Kwai Chung Crematorium and Wo Hop Shek Crematorium.
We believe that the flexible approaches I mentioned above and reprovisioning programmes will be able to improve waiting times significantly for the foreseeable future.
MR. WONG SHUI-LAI (in Cantonese):—Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a few questions. Mr. PÃO said just now that 24,000 cremations can be handled annually within the territory. I would like to know how many crematoria and cremators are in the territory? It is because according to Mr. PÃO, each cremator can handle three cremations every day and when necessary, each cremator can handle four or even five cremations every day. Under this circumstance, every day over sixty-six cremations should be handled by all the crematoria in Hong Kong. I believe that according to this calculation, we will require a lot of cremators to do so. I wonder if there is any contradiction in the figures provided?
MR. PAO PING-WING (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, the number of cremators and crematoria are as follows. At present, in the Urban Council area, there are altogether 13 cremators and in the Regional Council area, there are 14 cremators, altogether there are 27 cremators. As to whether these 27 cremators are adequate to handle all the cremations in Hong Kong, over the past five years, i.e., starting from last year, we handled 22,000 cremations, and in 1991 we handled 20,000 cremations and in 1990, 20,400 cremations, in 1989, 20,000 cremations, and in 1988, 18,000 cremations. On average, there is an increase in the number of cremations that we handle every year. There is no problem of underprovision of such facilities, but I have some good news for Mr. WONG so that Mr. WONG could perhaps set his mind at ease. In 1995, in Cape Collinson Crematorium, the crematorium can handle 4,000 more cremations and in 1996, in Kwai Chung Crematorium, it can handle 2,000 more cremations, in 1997, Wo Hop Shek Crematorium can handle 2,000 more cremations. From the figures given to us by the Census and Statistics Department, these cremators would be able to cope with the demand.
MR. WONG SHUI-LAI (in Cantonese):—Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank Mr. PAO for giving us such detailed figures. There are altogether 27 cremators. Assuming that every day each cremator handles 4 cases, 108 cremations should be handled every day. So there should not have been a problem raised by Mr. YUEN. If somebody has to set his mind at ease, it is Mr. YUEN rather than myself. A waiting time of more than 7 days should not have happened. Assuming that we
Page 123 of 126
Page 123 of 126
216
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Past experience clearly illustrates that the waiting time for making a cremation booking always varies throughout the year. Greatest demand is invariably encountered each year between January and mid April. During this period the waiting time may sometimes be up to 14 days, but usually this period averages 10 days. This year was something of an exception in that applicants were required to wait 15 days during January and February 1993 for a cremation session at Cape Collinson Crematorium, partly because of the sudden break-down of two cremators in the Diamond Hill Crematorium.
Demand is usually lowest between mid-April and December when applicants can normally secure a booking within 7 days. The reason for the generally longer waiting times at Cape Collinson Crematorium is that this is first choice of the majority of applicants. Nevertheless any crematorium is available for booking by any prospective applicant and approximately 24 000 cremations can be provided annually within the territory. Overall, this is certainly adequate to cope with anticipated demand.
As for holding corpses for periods longer than 7 days this actually poses no inherent risk to health, because this can be assured through modern embalming techniques as well as the provision of adequate cold storage facilities within hospitals and funeral houses.
The second part of the question asks what measures can be taken by the Department to reduce waiting time. In fact, the Department has already implemented a series of measures to tackle the problem. In order to ensure cost-effective usage of cremators, a 7-day booking rule is continually in operation. Under this rule, any applicant may choose to book a cremation time within 7 days from the date of application. However, during periods of high demand, this rule will be extended so that when all sessions in the first 7 days are fully booked, the 8th day is automatically made available for booking. On the same principle, when bookings for the 8th day are full, cremation sessions on the following day, i.e. the 9th day are made available, etc, etc.
Normally each cremator can complete 3 cremations per day. A flexible approach has been taken to increase the capacity of the cremators by carrying out 1 or, if need be, 2 additional cremations in each of the cremators whenever the first four days are fully booked. This could increase the capacity of the cremators.
As a third measure, the Department has been liaising with Electrical and Mechanical Services Department in drawing up an annual maintenance schedule for all cremators in the territory such that only a small number of cremators will be closed down for maintenance and repair at any one period of time.
Although any person is free to choose any crematorium facility in the territory, staff in charge of Regional booking offices will encourage applicants, but not of course insist, that they opt for cremation elsewhere when the facility of first choice is already heavily booked.
Page 123 of 126
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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217
Finally, Mr. YUEN has also expressed concern about the adequacy of cremation facilities. Although it is envisaged that the existing provision is able to cope with the average yearly demand over the next few years, there is already in hand a complete reprovisioning programme in Cape Collinson in order to replace the existing cremators and also to add 4 more new cremators. According to the Regional Services Department, there will be a parallel reprovisioning programme in 1995 and 1996 so that 2 new cremators will be added each to Kwai Chung Crematorium and Wo Hop Shek Crematorium.
We believe that the flexible approaches I mentioned above and reprovision- ing programmes will be able to improve waiting times significantly for the foreseeable future.
MR. WONG SHUI-LAI (in Cantonese):—Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a few questions. Mr. Pão said just now that 24 000 cremations can be handled annually within the territory. I would like to know how many crematoria and cremators are in the territory? It is because according to Mr. PÃO, each cremator can handle three cremations every day and when necessary each cremator can handle four or even five cremations every day. Under this circumstance, every day over sixty-six cremations should be handled by all the crematoria in Hong Kong. I believe that according to this calculation, we will require a lot of cremators to do so. I wonder if there is any contradiction in the figures provided?
MR. PAO PING-WING (in Cantonese):--Mr. Chairman, the number of cremators and crematorium are as follows. At present in Urban Council area, there are altogether 13 cremators and in Regional Council area, there are 14 cremators, altogether there are 27 cremators. As to whether these 27 cremators are adequate to handle all the cremations in Hong Kong, over the past five years, i.e. starting from last year, we handle 22 000 cremations, and in 1991 we handled 20 000 cremations and in 1990, 20 400 cremations, in 1989, 20 000 cremations, and in 1988, 18 000 cremations. On average, there is an increase in the number of cremations that we handle every year. There is no problem of under provision of such facilities but I have some good news for Mr. WONG SO that Mr. WONG could perhaps set his mind at ease. In 1995, in Collinson Cape Crematorium, the crematorium can handle 4 000 more cremations and in 1996, in Kwai Chung Crematorium, it can handle 2000 more cremations, in 1997, Wo Hop Shek Crematorium can handle 2000 more cremations. From the figures given to us by Census and Statistics Department, these cremators would be able to cope with the demand.
MR. WONG SHUI-LAI (in Cantonese):—Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank Mr. PAO for giving us such detailed figures. There are altogether 27 cremators. Assuming that every day each cremator handles 4 cases, 108 cremations should be handled every day. So there should not have been a problem raised by Mr. YUEN. If some body has to set his mind at ease it is Mr. YUEN rather than myself. A waiting time of more than 7 days should not have happened. Assuming that we
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