ENG-1991 — Page 200

HEALTH

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completion of a replacement private slaughterhouse in Sheung Shui. Negotiations with the prospective operator regarding the terms of a land grant are in progress.

During the year, 1 950 000 pigs, 102 000 cattle and 9 000 goats were slaughtered in these two abattoirs, which together met about 63 per cent of the local demand for fresh meat.

Animal slaughtering services in the Regional Council area are provided by two licensed private slaughterhouses in Kwai Chung and Yuen Long. They handled a total of 1 099 893 pigs, 54 221 cattle and 6 150 goats during the year. The slaughterhouse at Kwai Chung, which can slaughter up to 3 000 pigs a day, also helps to meet demand in Kowloon. A small slaughterhouse with a throughput capacity of 100 pigs a day was completed by the council this year on Cheung Chau Island. This slaughterhouse, leased out for private operation, will also serve the nearby islands. To meet long-term demand, a site at Sheung Shui has been reserved for the construction of a private slaughterhouse with maximum throughput of 3 900 pigs and 240 cattle.

All animals slaughtered in these slaughterhouses are inspected by qualified health inspectors of the Urban Services and Regional Services Departments.

Cemeteries and Crematoria

It is government policy to encourage cremation rather than burial for the disposal of the dead. During the year, over 70 per cent of the dead were cremated in the territory. Human remains buried in public cemeteries are subject to exhumation after six years when the exhumed remains are either cremated or re-interred in an urn cemetery.

The Urban Council operates one public funeral parlour in Kowloon to provide free funeral services for the needy. Two service halls at the parlour are provided free of charge for public use.

In Urban Council areas, there are five public cemeteries, two public crematoria and 18 private cemeteries. There are also two war cemeteries under the management of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The Regional Council manages four public crematoria at Kwai Chung, Fu Shan, Cheung Chau and Wo Hop Shek. The first two crematoria are used for the cremation of dead bodies and exhumed skeletal remains. In 1991, 9 063 bodies and 6931 skeletal cremations were handled.

Columbaria are provided at Kwai Chung, Fu Shan, Cheung Chau, Wo Hop Shek, Lamma and Peng Chau for the deposit of cremated ashes. Up to December 1991, the council provided and managed 34 604 niches.

In the Regional Council area, there are six public cemeteries, at Wo Hop Shek, Tai O, Cheung Chau, Mui Wo and Sandy Ridge. They comprise a total 60 272 coffin grave sites and 185 482 urn grave sites. The council also oversees nine private cemeteries and six private crematoria.

Auxiliary Medical Services

The Auxiliary Medical Services (AMS) was formed in 1950 as one of units in the Essential Services Corps. It is a government medical civil defence organisation with a current establishment of 89 permanent staff and 5 835 volunteers. By statutory requirement, the Director of Health is the Commissioner of the AMS and is responsible to the Governor for the efficient operation of the unit. People from all walks of life including physicians, nurses, paramedical personnel, civil servants and laymen in the private sector volunteer to serve.