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Premier Wen Jiabao this morning (June 30) toured the Amoy Gardens housing estate in Kowloon Bay. During this year's outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, the estate had the largest concentration of SARS cases in the territory, with more than 300 residents infected.
The premier was accompanied by the Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, State Councillor Mr Tang Jiaxuan, and the Vice-Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Liao Hui. They were welcomed to the estate by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Dr Patrick Ho, and the Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs, Ms Shelley Lee.
In Block E of Amoy Gardens, where the SARS outbreak in the estate originated, the premier and his party visited the Kwok family. They met Mr Kwok, his six-year-old daughter and his three-month-old son. The baby boy was born healthy despite the fact that his mother contracted SARS during her pregnancy and eventually succumbed to the disease.
Before they left, the official visitors were treated to a piano performance by young Ming-wai, the six-year-old daughter.
Premier Wen then returned to the public area of the estate, where he was greeted by thousands of flag-waving residents. He took a short walk, mixing with the well-wishers and exchanging greetings and handshakes.
He then proceeded to Sha Tin's Prince of Wales Hospital, where he met some 40 health care workers and thanked them personally for their courage and devotion in the battle against SARS. He said that health care workers had saved many lives during the epidemic and those who had sacrificed their own lives in the effort would never be forgotten. He also viewed a display of messages of support and thanks sent to medical staff by members of the community and wrote his own message expressing respect for the hospital staff on a large souvenir panel.
On his tour of the hospital, he was joined by Chief Executive Mr Tung Chee Hwa, the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, the Chairman of the Hospital Authority, Dr Leong Che-hung, and the Hospital Authority Chief Executive, Dr William Ho.
Later, the Premier made an impromptu visit to the New Town Plaza shopping mall in Sha Tin. He visited a cake shop, where he chatted with the sales clerk, then entered a supermarket, where he was warmly greeted by shoppers and store staff as he browsed through the aisles.
End/Monday, June 30, 2003
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