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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The Foundation Laying Ceremony of the Tseung Kwan O Hospital (TKOH) was held today (September 20) in the morning. The ceremony was officiated by the Minister of Health, Professor Chen Zhu, accompanied by Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow; Hospital Authority (HA) Chairman, Mr Anthony Wu; and HA Chief Executive, Mr Shane Solomon.
The construction work of the Ambulatory Block, which is a part of the TKOH expansion project, started in February 2009 and is anticipated to be completed in late January 2012. Funding of the project, over 1.94 billion, was approved by the Financial Committee of the Legislative Council in 2008. The eleventh-storey Ambulatory Block will accommodate the ambulatory services and supporting facilities to be decanted from the existing hospital main block. They include the Specialist out-patient clinics, Ambulatory Surgery Centre, Day Medical Centre, Electrographic Diagnostic Unit, Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic and Health Resources Centre. There will be an increase of 22 consultation rooms and enlarged patient waiting areas. The Ambulatory Block will also accommodate new services, including Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Psychiatry Out-patient Department, day service, and Geriatric day service.
After the relocation of the above-mentioned clinics and day services to the Ambulatory Block upon its completion, the vacated areas will be converted into in-patient wards with increase of 178 beds and used for expansion of the Pharmacy and Pathology Departments which facilities are currently insufficient to meet the service demand.
"The expansion project aims to meet the long term medical demand of the districts by adding advanced medical apparatuses and expanding different types of facilities. This project fully reflects the innovative and progressive spirits of TKOH that are also the motivation of the Hong Kong Medical System on on-going development and advancement. I believe, after the completion of the expansion project, equipped with advanced facilities, together with its excellent and modern management, professional service and team spirit of the medical and nursing staff, TKOH will keep on providing comprehensive and quality services to the public," said Dr Chow.
"With the expansion of TKOH, we hope to continue to provide better quality medical services to the residents of Tseung Kwan O and Sai Kung districts, with improved hospital environment and patient services. It also helps to support the United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong, providing more comprehensive services with better health protection to the public of the Kowloon East," said Mr Wu.
Ends/Sunday, September 20, 2009
Issued at HKT 16:15
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