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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
Regarding the services of the 18 Designated Clinics and the nine Special Assessment Centres, the Hospital Authority (HA) spokesperson provided the following updates today (October 16):
The 18 Designated Clinics today (as at 5pm) provided initial assessment to 589 patients. Patients who require further assessment and treatment have been referred to the Special Assessment Centres (SACs). The nine Assessment Centres attended to 474 patients today. A total of 40,042 attendances and 11,485 assessments have been reported at the Designated Clinics and SACs respectively since they began operations on September 23.
The public are reminded that the service hours of the 18 Designated Clinics will be adjusted from this week in view of the levelling off of service demand in the past week, while the hours for the SACs will remain unchanged. The service hours are as follows:
Mondays – Fridays: 9am–5pm
Saturdays: 9am–1pm
Sundays and Public Holidays: Closed
The HA will continue to closely monitor the pattern and trend of service demand, and adjust the service hours and arrangements accordingly if required.
The Designated Clinics and SACs will be in operation for at least six months and as long as there is demand for the service. Children who could not be assessed at the Designated Clinics on the same day of attendance will be given the earliest possible appointment in the following days. In the coming three days, a total of about 800 appointments have already been made at the 18 Designated Clinics.
As of today, the Centre for Health Protection has received eight reports of melamine tainted milk products-related renal stones in children. Out of the six cases reported by HA, three were diagnosed under the Designated Clinics and SACs that began on September 23.
The HA reiterated that the free screening service was a contingency arrangement with its prime focus on local children who had an "eligible person" status. Other patients will be referred to private healthcare providers to reserve adequate capacity for locals.
Ends/Thursday, October 16, 2008
Issued at HKT 19:00
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