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Following is the transcript of remarks made by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, after attending the meeting of Legislative Council Panel on Health Services this afternoon (July 15):
Secretary for Food and Health: We have introduced to the Legislative Council Panel on Health Services today a blueprint of the future development of public hospitals. As Hong Kong's long-term population growth as well as rapidly aging population put a huge demand on public hospital facilities in the medium and long term, we have decided to pursue the development of a general hospital in the Kai Tak Development Area in the blueprint. Also, there would be needs for additional rehabilitation hospital beds in Tai Po. Considering the fact that there is still residual development potential of the existing Tai Po Hospital site, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong has raised with the Administration a plan to develop a private teaching hospital within its campus, there is no need for our bureau to hold the piece of land originally reserved for private hospital development. Therefore, we have decided to return the piece of land (reserved for private hospital development) in Tai Po to the Development Bureau for other development purposes.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Monday, July 15, 2013
Issued at HKT 19:52
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