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Following is the transcript of remarks made by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, after attending a radio programme this morning (January 20):
Reporter: (On resumption of supply of live chickens.)
Secretary for Food and Health: We have suspended the operation of Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market for 21 days following the identification of specimens from a consignment of live chickens positive in H7 avian influenza PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests. The suspension period would be expired soon and we will reopen the Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market subsequently. Both locally reared chickens as well as chickens imported from the Mainland will be able to use the wholesale poultry market again. This will also mean that we will not need to operate the Ta Kwu Ling Checkpoint anymore. For live poultry imported from the Mainland, we are still awaiting notification by the Mainland authorities on the date of the resumption of supply.
Reporter: (On the provision of additional hospital beds in the next few years.)
Secretary for Food and Health: In the radio programme, I talked about the long-term requirement of hospital facilities for Hong Kong for the coming 20 or 30 years. In light of the fact that our population is ageing rapidly, we project an increase in demand of hospital beds in the region of 6 000 and above. This is the requirement in medium to long term. At present, the Hospital Authority is conducting a very detailed planning for the expansion and development of new hospital facilities to meet the long-term demand of hospital services. So in that context, Kai Tak Hospital is only one of the projects to help us meet the increasing demand of hospital services.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Issued at HKT 14:33
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