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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The Topping Out Ceremony of the Tseung Kwan O Hospital (TKOH) Ambulatory Block was officiated today (June 8) by the Minister of Health, Mr Chen Zhu. The expansion project of TKOH comprises the establishment of an Ambulatory Block and the conversion and renovation works of the Hospital Main Block, so as to cope with the community's increasing healthcare service demands.
At the ceremony today, the Minister of Health was joined by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow; Hospital Authority Chairman, Mr Anthony Wu; Chief Executive of Hospital Authority, Dr Leung Pak-yin; Director of Architectural Services, Mrs Marigold Lau; Chairman of Hospital Governing Committee of TKOH, Mr Lo Chung-hing; Chairman of Sai Kung District Council, Mr George Ng; Cluster Chief Executive of Kowloon East Cluster, Dr Joseph Lui and Hospital Chief Executive of TKOH, Dr Tom Kam-tim.
In his welcome speech Mr Wu said that TKOH will work with the two cluster hospitals, United Christian Hospital and Haven of Hope Hospital, providing comprehensive and seamless healthcare services for the community.
"The enhancement of ambulatory services is a major service direction of the Hospital Authority. We look forward to the commencement of the TKOH Ambulatory Block in meeting with this target of the authority," said Mr Wu. The Ambulatory Block will start operation in the first quarter of 2012. The stage two conversion and renovation works of the Hospital Main Block will be commenced accordingly. The whole expansion project is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2013.
On behalf of the Hospital Governing Committee of TKOH, Mr Lo Chung-hing thanked the Food and Health Bureau, the Architectural Services Department, Sai Kung District Council and the Hospital Authority Head Office for their full support, as well as the dedication of TKOH's departments, which has helped bring about its successful completion.
The population of Tseung Kwan O and Sai Kung is currently about 420 000 and is expected to increase to 456 800 and 509 500 in 2013 and 2018 respectively. To cope with the rising demand for healthcare services due to the increasing and aging population, the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved a budget of about 1.94 billion for the TKOH expansion project in July 2008. The project includes the construction of an Ambulatory Block at Zone B of the Hospital Compound for the expansion of the Specialist Out-patient clinics and ambulatory services, new psychiatric services and a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) service.
Ends/Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Issued at HKT 17:27
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