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Following is the transcript (English portion) of a media session by the Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, after visiting the Hospital Authority and meeting with the senior management of the Authority and frontline medical and nursing staff this (April 22) morning:
I'm here really to say thank you, a huge thank you, to those frontline medical staff and also those in the administration who have given themselves selflessly to Hong Kong. For this, the Government has decided to go to the Legislative Council's Finance Committee to ask for $200 million funding to establish a fund for the medical and nursing staff. The purpose of the fund is really to allow those people who have been so valiant in helping to fight this disease the opportunity to go to further training, or further studies, and at the same time for those who have been affected by this atypical pneumonia disease, maybe some form of assistance to them. This is, of course, a Government fund but I know that many, many in the community have already made contributions or will want to make contributions, so I hope this fund will grow in size as the community contributions come in. The details of the working of this fund are now being mapped out by Dr Yeoh and he will announce the details very, very shortly. Thank you very much.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript)
End/Tuesday, April 22, 2003
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